


Third Year: Of Course Harry's Seeing Death Omens, Is This Boy Ever Normal?

by DominusMortis



Series: Harry Potter and Why He Should Never Be Left Unsupervised [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A lot is left out, Also Draco gets involved, Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Cus no sane person takes Divination, Ew, F/M, Fluff, Humour I hope?, Lots of summaries, M/M, Remus is such a good person, Rewrite, Ron and Harry are kinda dicks to Hermione, Sarah and Draco are such nerds, Sass, THE ANGST BEGINS, They're starting to grow up, Third Year! Yay!, omg feelings, sirius is a drama queen, some fights, time turners
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:35:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 65,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25196299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DominusMortis/pseuds/DominusMortis
Summary: Third-year arrives for Sarah and the gang with an unexpected twist at the start. And of course, a mass-murderer is going after Harry. Just what Sarah needs on top of her overwhelming schedule.Y'all know the drill by now. This is a rewrite of Prisoner of Azkaban. However, I do skip over a lot of things and put my own spin on it.Obviously, all characters and plotline belong to J.K Rowling unless they're mine.Side note: If anyone who reads this is good at fanart/wants to draw something - feel free to, I'd love fanart but I'm so incapable that my stick figures are wobbly. Help a girl out.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Series: Harry Potter and Why He Should Never Be Left Unsupervised [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1789387
Comments: 17
Kudos: 83





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> We are back!!! And you know what that means - fourth year is complete and fifth year is in progress. 
> 
> Sorry for the long wait but thank you all for your kind comments and kudos! I'm glad you're enjoying it. I think fifth and onwards is going to end up bigger than the previous ones. The fourth was surprisingly shorter than I expected. I have a twist coming up in fifth with a bit more angst cus you know, teenagers and their hormones.

A shout echoed down the vast hallway and Sarah ducked as another jet of light flashed past her, smashing into the wall and leaving a charred hole behind. She swore under her breath and veered right into a large study; complete with wall to ceiling bookcases, plush wingback armchairs, and dark wood tables strategically placed around the sprawling carpet. Her destination was the domineering, marble-mantled fireplace which took up most of the far wall. She sprinted toward it as she heard her pursuer stumble into the outside wall, the tight turn too difficult for their less agile body.

“COME BACK HERE, GIRL!”

Sarah ignored the bellowed shout and continued to race forward through the chairs and tables, randomly changing her direction to put off her pursuer’s aim.

“Fuck off!” she shouted over her shoulder, tightening her grip on the small rucksack across her back.

She leapt forward and grabbed a handful of Floo powder, throwing it into the fire and calling out her destination. The last thing she saw as she stepped into the green fire was the hateful face of Antonius Deaumont, teeth bared in outrage as she whirled away into nothingness.

***

Sarah gasped loudly as she collapsed in a heap on the well-worn floor of the Leaky Cauldron. She gingerly picked herself up off the floor and looked around, trying to reign in her harsh breathing.

The pub was empty at this time of night, or maybe it was early morning, Sarah wasn’t sure. All she knew was that she had been having another screaming match with her father when he suddenly through the first curse.

Then she had run.

A light flickered nearby as the stairs creaked softly.

“Who’s there?” Tom, the owner, called out into the darkness.

“It’s me, Tom,” Sarah said, drawing nearer to the light so that it illuminated her face.

“Bloody ‘ell, Sarah,” Tom gasped. “What ‘appened to yeh?”

Sarah cringed away from his scrutinising glance.

“My father was less than pleased at my refusal to bow to his every wish,” she said shortly. She quickly changed the subject. “I’m truly sorry to drop in so late, but would it be possible to trouble you for a room to stay in for the remainder of the holidays?”

Tom tutted. “You need ter be careful with yer pa, he’s a right ‘andful,” he said. “Come on, I’ll show yer ter room.” He turned around and began walking up the rickety staircase.

“Honestly, Tom,” Sarah sighed, shaking her head at the run-down appearance of the hallway. “Some maintenance spells can go a long way to improving your profit.”

“Don’t get snarky with me, young miss,” Tom grunted. “I’m the one being generous enough to give yer the best room in the place.”

Sarah smiled to herself as she continued to follow Tom to the highest level. He pushed a heavy oak door open to reveal a room that was nearly the same size as the entire downstairs area.

“This room is usually reserved for the Minister an’ the like,” Tom announced, looking around the intricately decorated room with pride. “It’s yers as long as yer need it.”

“Thank you so much, Tom,” Sarah said gratefully, putting her rucksack down gently on the large queen-sized bed.

“No problem, Sarah,” Tom brushed off her thanks. “Yer mum was a good friend of mine.” He turned away and walked toward the door to leave. “I’ll send up some breakfast in the morn, if yer want?” he offered, light eyes dancing in the flickering light of his wand.

“That’s okay,” replied Sarah. “I might come down. Thanks anyway.”

Tom just nodded and left the room. Sarah listened to his footsteps retreat down the stairs before falling heavily onto the dark comforter covering the bed.

Two weeks.

That’s how long she had lasted at home – _no_ , at the Manor. With her father there, she couldn’t see the place as home anymore. The only time she had felt relatively safe was when she locked herself away in her mother’s old chambers or escaped out into the hidden clearing in the woods.

Her father had refused her from visiting Malfoy Manor and Draco had been beside himself with worry when he hadn’t received a letter from Sarah for more than a week into the holidays. Sarah knew that her father would have stolen any letters she attempted to send, so she had waited until her father was away at a business meeting before summoning one of the Malfoy house-elves. Tibby had been ecstatic to see Sarah and had happily promised to deliver to Draco the letter Sarah had written, which explained everything. Since then, they had been communicating through the house elves, who only popped up once Antonius was sound asleep in the master’s chambers.

Sarah and her father had been fighting nonstop since her return from Hogwarts. Antonius was set on erasing her “diabolical behaviours which have poisoned the Deaumont name” by cutting her off from her friends and lecturing her on the expectations of a “proper pure-blood”.

Unfortunately for him, Sarah was less than willing to play along. She made fun of the purist blood ideals by saying how amazing it was that a half-blood baby was able to defeat the ‘most powerful’ pureblood in the world. That comment alone had gotten her locked in the dungeon for one night without food. She managed to avoid the beatings she knew her father wanted to inflict upon her by stating that if he hurt her, she would have cause to go the Ministry and reveal his treatment of his only daughter.

She had been fine with the arguments and the taunting. But when her father had cursed her mother as being the fault of Sarah’s traitorous character, she had snapped. Sarah thought she was lucky to have escaped unharmed as she recalled the fury in her father’s brown eyes and cruel face.

At least it was over now. She was free from the restricting manor house and her father’s clutches.

As she rolled over to get some sleep, a final thought of letting Draco know where she was flitted through her mind, quickly being replaced by the sweet oblivion of the dreamscape.

***

Sarah awoke to bright sunlight slanting across the bed and the comforting sounds of customers and workers bustling away downstairs. She sat up and stretched, eyeing the clock on the wall to see that it was just past midday. Her stomach grumbled loudly, so she got up, threw on some clothes and idly wandered down to the main level of the pub.

Amanda, Tom’s daughter who was a few years out of Hogwarts, waved to Sarah as she stepped off the bottom of the stairs. Sarah smiled back and back her way over to the bar, sitting down on one of the high stools.

“Hey, Sarah,” Amanda greeted. “Da said you dropped in last night. Gave him a right old fright.”

Sarah laughed lightly. “Yes, sorry about that. What’s the lunch special today?”

“Fish and chips,” Amanda stating, rolling her eyes. “Da says it’s special because of the ‘special’ sauce’ he made for it. Honestly, I’m pretty sure it’s just tartar and aioli mixed together – tastes like something from the bottom of a cauldron.”

Sarah smirked in amusement. “I think I’ll just take a sandwich and some chips, if I may?”

“No problem at all, darling. I’ll get the kitchen on it, now,” Amanda shot her one more amused look before floating out the back to bark orders at the kitchen staff.

The pub wasn’t as busy as it usually was during the day, meaning that the lunch rush had probably already come and gone. Sarah glanced back as Amanda walked through flapping doors from the kitchen, her wand held aloft and levitating a plate of steaming food. She sent the food Sarah’s way, who groaned in appreciation as the intoxicating smell of chips and bacon filled her nose.

“I swear, you are a goddess,” Sarah exclaimed, pointing her fork at Amanda as she slowly savoured the salty tang of the hot chip.

“Rubbish,” Amanda replied dismissively, “I just know how to get males to do what I want.”

“Too true, you minx,” Sarah said, shaking her head slightly.

Amanda snorted and placed a steaming cup of butterbeer in front of Sarah.

“I know you wouldn’t have tried this yet,” she explained, “but dear Rosmerta from the Three Broomsticks sure knows how to make a good drink.”

Sarah took a sip of the frothy beverage and raised her eyebrow in surprise. It was sweet yet not too much so. It was like a butterscotch coffee without caffeine.

“Is there much alcohol in this?” Sarah asked, taking another sip.

“Nah, you’d have to have a good many of those before you even got a slight buzz,” Amanda said. “It’s why they can serve it to the Hogwarts students. How are you finding it, anyway? You’re off to your third year, right?”

Sarah nodded, taking a large bite of her sandwich while she thought of her answer.

“Hogwarts is great. It’s been a bit crazier than usual because Harry always seems to get himself into some sort of trouble, but other than that it’s amazing. I love learning all the content and being able to use magic whenever I want to. Draco studies way too often but at least he has fun.”

“Harry? The Potter kid?”

“Yeah,” Sarah said. “But don’t get hung up on that. He’s a bit hopeless sometimes, honestly. Typical Gryffindor,” she smirked, thinking about the adventures Harry had already taken her on. “He’s one of my best friends though, I wouldn’t change that for the world.”

“Well, he must be a great dude if you’re willing to put up with him,” Amanda teased. “Any other gossip? Anyone dating anyone scandalous?”

“What the hell – no! We’re thirteen for Merlin’s sake, no one’s thinking about dating anyone at this point,” Sarah said in a dry tone,

“What about the Zabini kid?” Amanda prodded. “He seemed like one of those flowering ladies’ man type.”

“Ugh, you’re right,” Sarah groaned. “I’m sure that once Blaise is a bit older he’ll be flirting with anything that walks.”

“Bet refresh yourself on some of those useful hexes, then. A well-placed stinging hex does wonders,” Amanda winked.

Sarah snorted and continued eating her meal. Once done, Amanda flicked her wand, causing the plate to fly back into the kitchen triggering an indignant squawk from one of the workers.

Sarah and Amanda snickered quietly together as Sarah finished her drink.

“What are your plans for today?” Amanda asked, leaning against the bar and polishing a glass.

“Probably just gonna read in my room,” Sarah answered truthfully. “I don’t want to go out into Diagon just yet and I want to give my father a few days to angrily search for me before he gives up.”

“Well, Da and I aren’t going to say anything if he pops by,” Amanda promised. “And if you’re ever down here if he does, I’m more than willing to throw you into the kitchen so you stay out of sight.”

“Thanks,” Sarah laughed. “I think.”

Amanda smirked again, her blue eyes bright against her dark hair.

“Maybe you should do your appearance changing thing so you’re not as obvious,” she suggested.

“Good idea, I’ll do that back up at the room,” Sarah agreed.

“Well, I gotta get back to my shift,” Amanda announced. “No rest for the wicked I’m afraid. Enjoy your book.”

“Will do, thanks for lunch,” Sarah said, rummaging into her pocket for some change.

“Nah, none of that,” Amanda said, shooing away her hand. “It’s on the house today. Tomorrow, though, I expect a full tip.”

Sarah barked a laugh before hurrying up the stairs, locking the door of her room behind her and settling in the read one of the novels Draco had gotten her for her birthday.

***

Three weeks passed before anything remotely interesting happened. Sarah had spent her days chatting with Amanda, reading novels, finishing her homework and idly watching the pub’s patrons go about their day. She had received a frantic message from Draco saying that her father had been looking for her in a fury-driven hailstorm, and that it would be safer for her if she didn’t tell Draco where she was, as long as she was safe. Tibby had gnawed nervously on her bottom lip as she delivered Draco’s message but promised to relay to the blond that Sarah was safe and taken care of. Millicent, Pansy and Hermione had been in contact with her, offering their homes if she wanted but she had declined, not wanting to put her friends at risk of her father’s wrath. Sarah had managed to do all her school shopping when her Hogwarts letter arrived and was now increasingly looking forward to going back to school.

Sarah had just gone downstairs for dinner when she saw Amanda and Tom talking in hushed whispers in front of one of the private rooms. Amanda beckoned her over when she saw Sarah.

“What’s going on?” Sarah whispered.

“The Minister’s here,” Amanda muttered lowly.

“What?” Sarah’s eyes widened in surprise. “It’s not because of my father is it?”

“No, no,” Tom assured. “No, he was waiting for someone to arrive and requested a private room.”

“What’s unusual about that?” Sarah asked in confusion. Surely, it wasn’t _that_ uncommon for the Minister to have a meeting in a pub.

Amanda opened her mouth to reply, her blue eyes bright, when suddenly the door to the room swung open, revealing the dishevelled boy standing in the doorway.

“ _Harry?”_ Sarah said in amazement.

“Sarah?” Harry’s green eyes were scrunched up in confusion as they examined her face.

“What on earth are you doing here?” she continued.

“I could be asking you the same thing,” he replied, tilting his head at her. “You changed your appearance,” he noted.

“Neither here nor now,” piped Sarah, glancing into the room to see Cornelius Fudge standing behind Harry, deep in conversation with Tom, who had entered the room as soon as Harry had opened the door.

“Are you staying here?” Harry asked.

“Yes. Are you?”

“Apparently so.”

Sarah turned to Amanda.

“I’ll take him up to my room, he can share with me,” she offered.

“Are you sure?” Amanda asked, a mischievous glint in her eye. “We wouldn’t want Draco getting jealous.”

Sarah just scoffed and grabbed Harry’s arm.

“Come on, Potter. We’re at the very top.”

Harry looked around the room in awe. “Are all the rooms like this?”

“Of course not,” Sarah said absently as she tided up the room slightly. “Tom is an old friend of my mother’s and helped me out when I needed it.”

“What happened?” Harry asked, concern lighting his face.

“My father,” Sarah said flatly. “Honestly, I really don’t want to talk about him now. Let’s talk about you. What happened to you?”

“I accidentally blew up my aunt Marge when she pissed me off,” Harry admitted, sitting down on the bed. “Then I grabbed my stuff and just got out of there.”

Sarah looked at the boy with her mouth agape. “You _blew up_ your aunt? That’s amazing!”

Harry looked relieved. “Thank goodness,” he sighed. “I thought you’d chastise me or something.”

“Why on earth would I do that?” Sarah said. “Your family are shit, no one deserves it more than them.”

Harry smiled brightly at her before narrowing his eyes.

“The black hair is off-putting,” he stated. “And with the green eyes, you look like my sister.”

“Brilliant,” Sarah said gleefully. “That means my father wouldn’t recognise me at first glance.”

“Was it that bad?” Harry asked tentatively.

Sarah sighed deeply. “Yes, but I promise I’ll tell you everything tomorrow.”

Harry nodded. Suddenly, his stomach grumbled loudly.

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “I didn’t get to eat dinner before I left.”

“No worries, I was on my way down for dinner anyway,” Sarah said. “I’ll get Amanda to send us up some food.”

She quickly went to relay her request and five minutes later, a steaming tray of food was sitting on the bed in between Sarah and Harry.

“So tell me about this exploding aunt.”

“Well, she didn’t really _explode_ …”

***

Sarah and Harry ate breakfast together every morning at the Leaky Cauldron and during the days, Sarah would show Harry properly around Diagon Alley. She pulled him into store after store, claiming, “No friend of mine is going to walk around in hand-me-downs!”, and forced him to buy a decent set of clothes.

They usually took lunch at one of the many cafes found along the sprawling street, trying a new flavour every day.

More than once, they bumped into someone they knew from school. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas were shopping in Quality Quidditch Supplies when Sarah and Harry ran into them. This had resulted in the three boys spending an astronomically long time drooling over the new Firebolt broom.

“You already have a Nimbus, Harry, close your goddamn mouth,” Sarah had snapped before dragging the gaping boy away.

The pair regularly found themselves sitting in the sunny outside seating area of Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour, slurping happily away at exquisite sundaes while working on their History of Magic essay. Florean Fortescue himself occasionally made an appearance and, along with knowing an exceptional amount about medieval witch burnings, would give Sarah and Harry free sundaes every half hour.

Sarah had rewritten her essay three times to include all the new information she had learnt. She also made a copy of the notes for Hermione and Draco, knowing that they would have been quite upset about missing out.

“I just have to get my books now,” Harry said one morning while they ate breakfast in bed. “Have you gotten everything?”

“Yeah, I did it about a week ago,” Sarah replied, spearing a piece of crispy bacon and shovelling it into her mouth. “The manager at Flourish and Blotts nearly cried when I told him I needed one of those monster books.”

“Hagrid sent me one for my birthday,” stated Harry, pointing with his fork at his trunk where every so often, something would thump against the closed top.

“Hmm, that’s helpful,” commented Sarah.

They leisurely strolled to Flourish and Blotts after they had finished breakfast. When the manager saw Sarah and Harry he groaned loudly, stating, “ _Another_ one!”, before roughly pushing past the pair toward a cage full of _The Monster Book of Monsters_.

“Wait – I already have one,” said Harry.

The manager sagged with relief. Sarah went to grab the core subjects’ books while Harry asked for _Unfogging the Future_ by Cassandra Vablatsky. When she turned back to him, he was staring intently at a book which had a depiction of a large, black dog on the cover.

“Whatcha looking at?” Sarah asked, sidling next to Harry with a raised eyebrow.

“Nothing,” he said hastily, turning his attention back to the manager to pay for his books.

Sarah peeked over his shoulder at the book. It was titled _Death Omens: What To Do When You Know the Worst Is Coming_. She watched the back of Harry’s head speculatively. What one earth would cause him to react the way he did to that book. She mentally shrugged the thought aside when he spun around and asked her if she was ready to leave.

Later, when they were back in their shared room in the Leaky Cauldon, Sarah brought up the issue of the book.

“So,” she started, sitting down next to Harry and looking at him pointedly. “Want to tell me what’s going?”

“What do you mean?” Harry deflected, avoiding eye contact.

Sarah just raised an eyebrow at him. “Don’t give me that crap. You freaked out over a book today – what’s wrong?”

Harry sighed deeply and leant back against the headboard of the bed.

“Just before I accidentally summoned the Knight bus when I left the Dursleys, I saw this giant, black dog in the bushes, just watching me,” Harry revealed. “When I saw that book today, the cover looked so much like I’d seen, it unnerved me.”

“So you think you saw a death omen?” Sarah asked, trying to keep her voice even to avoid laughing.

Harry levelled a glare her way. “Of course not, it was just an unusual coincidence.”

“You have nothing to be worried about, Harry,” Sarah said in a soothing tone.

“Considering my luck, it’ll turn out that Sirius Black is after me,” Harry joked.

“Sirius Black?” Sarah said suddenly, straightening from where she had been rummaging through her books.

“Yeah, the Azkaban escapee who apparently supported Voldemort,” said Harry. “Haven’t you heard about that yet?”

“No,” muttered Sarah, frowning slightly. “I hadn’t heard he escaped.”

“Do you know him?” Harry asked tentatively.

“He’s Narcissa’s cousin, she’s a Black by birth,” explained Sarah. “She and my mother mentioned him to Draco and me once – said it was quite surprising that he was apparently in league with Voldemort when he had been an active opposer nearly all his life.”

“Huh, that is odd. But it doesn’t matter, really. He’s probably just trying to finish what Voldemort didn’t,” Harry muttered bitterly.

“Merlin, don’t say that, Harry,” Sarah chided. “Besides, he’d have to get through me _and_ Draco,” she added with a smirk.

***

As the days went by, Sarah and Harry began to look out for any sign of their friends. It wasn’t until the last day of the holidays that they got lucky.

They had just strolled outside after a late breakfast when someone called Harry’s name loudly.

“Harry! HARRY!”

Hermione and Ron were sitting outside the ice cream parlour when Sarah and Harry turned around – Ron looking incredibly freckly, Hermione very brown, both waving frantically at them.

“Finally!” said Ron, grinning at them as they sat down. “We went to the Leaky Cauldron, but they said you’d left, and we went to Flourish and Blotts, and Madam Malkin’s and – “

“We got our school stuff ages ago,” Harry explained. “And how come you knew we were staying at the Leaky Cauldron?”

“Dad,” said Ron simply. “Although, I didn’t know Sarah was staying as well.”

Sarah just shrugged. “Wasn’t any point mentioning it considering you were in Egypt.”

“Have you heard from your father?” Hermione asked worriedly.

“No, thankfully,” said Sarah, stealing a spoonful of Hermione’s ice cream.

“You know, I didn’t recognise you until you turned around,” Ron voiced. “I like the new look but why is it necessary?”

Hermione jabbed him with her elbow and levelled a glare his way.

“What?” he said tactlessly.

Sarah laughed and shook her head.

“It’s okay,” she said, smiling. “I didn’t want my father to recognise me should he choose to drop into Diagon or the Leaky.”

“Ah, makes sense,” Ron nodded.

“Have you seen Draco at all?” Hermione inquired.

“Not yet,” Sarah sighed wistfully. “He sent a message saying Narcissa postponed their usual shopping trip because my father was at the Manor. I hope he turns up today.”

She had barely finished her sentence when she heard loud footsteps running towards their group. They all looked up in shock as a tall, thin body appeared before them, lips grinning ear to ear.

“I never thought I’d find you!” Draco exclaimed, his white-blond hair shining golden in the sunlight. “I’ve been looking for ages!”

Sarah squealed in delight and threw herself into his arms, squeezing tightly.

Like Harry and Ron, Draco had grown a few inches in the holidays, meaning that he now stood nearly a head taller than Sarah.

“I’m so glad you’re here!” Sarah babbled. “I’ve been meaning to try to send you another message because I’ve missed and even though Harry is excellent company I wanted to see you – how’s your mother? Has my father been annoying you much? Will you stay for dinner here? Or can you stay the night?”

“Sarah, breathe,” Draco laughed, pushing her dark hair off her forehead. “I missed you, too.”

Draco exchanged hugs with the others before joining them at their table, sitting close enough to sling an arm over Sarah’s shoulders.

“Where’s Narcissa?” Sarah asked, glancing around the crowded street for the distinctive blond hair.

“Getting my robes,” Draco said wryly. “She kicked me out when I wouldn’t stop fidgeting and trying to look through the windows.”

Everyone laughed at that image and Sarah snuggled comfortably into Draco’s side, feeling as if a missing piece had been returned to her body.

She and Harry excitedly explained what they had gotten up to during the last few weeks and listened with delight as Ron went on about Egypt, Hermione about France and Draco about the trip to southern Italy his mother had sprung unexpectedly upon him.

“Honestly, Sarah,” Draco intoned. “The villa hasn’t changed one bit. I was so furious that mother didn’t let me contact you before we left but she was just so done with father’s nonsense by that point.”

Narcissa suddenly appeared next to their table as if speaking of her summoned her to them.

“Sarah,” she said warmly. “I’m so glad to see you looking well.”

“Narcissa!” Sarah exclaimed in delight, jumping up to hug the thin woman. “I’m so sorry about all the trouble I’ve undoubtedly caused you.”

“Nonsense,” Narcissa dismissed. “You could never be any trouble for me, Sarah. You and Draco are practically twins, it gives you the right to be an honorary Malfoy.”

Sarah felt a pleasant warmth blossom in her chest at the words and she pulled Narcissa into another tight hug.

“I have to ask though,” the older woman said, suddenly serious, “What did your father do that prompted you to run away?”

Sarah cringed slightly. She hadn’t told anyone other than Amanda and Tom the real reason she had left.

“He – erm – tried to curse me during an argument…” she admitted wearily, running a hand through her long hair.

Narcissa and her friends stared at her in shock, mouths gaping wide in disbelief.

“You’re fucking _joking_!” Draco blurted. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

“Language, Draco,” Narcissa admonished weakly. Her pale eyes reflected the sky and were pinched around the corners with worry. “Sarah – that’s – I cannot believe Antonius would…”

“You can’t?” Sarah asked wryly.

Narcissa’s lips pursed tightly.

“You are right,” she finally conceded. “Antonius would do such a thing – even to his own daughter.” She shook her head in disgust. “I’ll make sure you won’t have to go back there again,” she vowed.

“Thank you, Narcissa,” Sarah said gratefully. “But I’m not sure what you can do to achieve that, short of locking my father out of the country.”

“Well he better not test me or that may very well happen,” Narcissa stated shortly.

The children looked up at the older woman in poorly disguised awe.

“Now, Draco,” Narcissa continued. “Your father is away for the week, so I don’t see why you cannot stay with Sarah tonight and accompany the Weasleys to the station tomorrow.”

Draco beamed at his mother. “Thank you, mother!”

Narcissa smiled warmly before passing him his shrunken trunk. “I’ve already taken the liberty of adding your robes and shopping,” she said with a smirk identical to Draco’s. “Just get Mr or Mrs Weasley to unshrink it before you get on the train.”

She stood suddenly, smoothing down her elegant robes. “It was lovely to see you all,” she stated regally. “I must be off. Have a good term. Draco, Sarah, behave yourselves. I expect regular letters.” She bent down and placed light kisses on both their foreheads before gliding off, a queen without a throne amongst the regular shoppers of Diagon Alley.

“Are you staying tonight, Hermione?” Sarah asked excitedly. She was ecstatic that she had her best friends surrounding her once again.

“Yes, I am!” Hermione beamed. “My parents dropped me with all my stuff earlier.”

“Brilliant! We can have a sleepover in my room!” Sarah stated.

“Sounds good,” Ron said. “But first can we get lunch? I’m starving.”

The others rolled their eyes at the redhead, ignoring his indignant responses as they got up as a group and happily trotted back to the Leaky Cauldron.

***

Ron was in a horrid mood by the time dinner came around.

They had gone out shopping again after lunch, mainly for last-minute things they had forgotten, and Hermione had wanted to get herself an early birthday present. Unfortunately for Ron, she decided her birthday present would be a gigantic, ginger monstrosity of a cat which had nearly scalped Ron when they went into the magical pet shop for some rat tonic for Scabbers.

Ron had muttered angrily the entire trip back and was now sitting at the opposite end of the table to Hermione, glaring fiercely at the bundle of orange fur held tightly in her arms.

“Ron, he’s just a cat, get over it,” Draco groaned irritably.

“That’s not a cat! It’s a bloody monster!” Ron snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. “I have no idea why she bought that _thing_ – “

“I think he’s kinda cute,” Sarah said thoughtfully. “In a squashed kind of way…”

They spent their last night of holidays eating snacks and telling stupid jokes in Sarah and Harry’s shared room. Eventually, they ran out of energy and collapsed in an exhausted heap on the large bed, limbs entangled everywhere.


	2. Chapter Two

The next morning was chaos. Everyone was trying to manipulate their luggage down the rickety staircase of the Leaky Cauldron whilst avoiding hitting each other, Tom or the walls.

Sarah gave Amanda and Tom tight hugs and thanked them for giving her a place to stay.

“Anyway, darling,” Amanda said. “Just send us an owl.”

Sarah joined the others where they were crowded around a large table near the door. A small wickerwork basket stood beside the heap of trunks, spitting loudly.

“It’s all right, Crookshanks,” Hermione cooed through the basket. “I’ll let you out on the train.”

“You won’t,” snapped Ron. “What about poor Scabbers, eh?”

He pointed at his chest, where a large lump indicated that Scabbers was curled up in his pocket. The old rat had begun looking extremely decrepit since Sarah had last seen him. She still didn’t understand why Ron willingly kept him.

Mr Weasley, who had been outside waiting for the Ministry cars that were meant to escort them to Kings Cross Station, stuck his head inside.

“They’re here,” he said. “Harry, come on. You too, Sarah.”

Mr Weasley marched Sarah and Harry across the short stretch of pavement toward the first of two old-fashioned dark green cars, each was driven by a furtive-looking wizard wearing a suit of emerald velvet.

“In you get, you two,” said Mr Weasley, glancing up and down the crowded street.

“Do you know why we got cars?” Sarah asked Harry as they clambered into the enlarged internal space.

“No, Mr Weasley just said something about it being a favour…” Harry broke off as they were joined by Draco, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny.

The trip to the station itself was uneventful and in no time at all, they were standing before the scarlet steam engine, hurriedly distributing trunks and animals.

Mrs Weasley kissed all the children, including Sarah, Draco, Harry and Hermione. Harry looked secretly pleased that he was given an extra hug from the Weasley matron.

Sandwiches were being handed out when Mr Weasley pulled Harry off to the side, whispering urgently to him. Sarah looked to Hermione in confusion and she shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what it was about later.

“I’m sure he’ll tell us on the train,” the bushy-haired girl said, accepting the sandwich Mr Weasley passed to her.

“Arthur!” called Mrs Weasley, who was now shepherding the rest of them onto the train. “Arthur, what are you doing? It’s about to go!”

“He’s coming, Molly!” Mr Weasley called back before turning his attention back to Harry.

There was a loud whistle. Guards were walking along the train, slamming all the doors shut.

“Arthur, quickly!” cried Mrs Weasley.

Mr Weasley squeezed Harry’s shoulder once before letting the dark-haired boy run toward the compartment door. Ron threw it open and he and Draco thrust out their hands to help Harry onto the train which had begun to move. The group leaned out of the window and waved at Mr and Mrs Weasley until the train turned a corner and blocked them from view.

“I need to talk to you in private,” Harry muttered to the four of them as the train picked up speed.

“Go away, Ginny,” said Ron.

“Ronald!”

“Oh, that’s nice,” said Ginny huffily, and she stalked off.

The five of them set off down the corridor, looking for an empty compartment, but all were full except for one at the very end of the train.

The only occupant was a man sitting fast asleep next to the window. They had never seen an adult on the train except for the witch who pushed the trolley cart.

The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard’s robes that had been darned in several places. He looked ill and exhausted. Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with grey.

“Who d’you reckon he is?” Ron hissed as they sat down and slid the door shut silently.

“Professor R. J. Lupin,” whispered Hermione at once.

“How d’you know that?”

“It’s on his case,” she replied, pointing at the luggage rack over the man’s head, where a small, battered case held together with a large quantity of neatly knotted string. The name _Professor R. J. Lupin_ was stamped across one corner in peeling letters.

“And here I was thinking that you might be a Seer, Hermione,” Sarah teased, shaking her head. “It would make Divination an absolute _breeze_.”

“Wonder what he teaches?” said Ron, frowning at Professor Lupin’s pallid profile.

“Defense Against the Dark Arts, obviously,” stated Draco. “It’s the only position available.”

Sarah studied the man closely. “I don’t know why…” she muttered. “But he looks sort of familiar for some reason.”

Draco just shrugged when she turned to him. “I haven’t seen him before.”

“Well, I hope he’s up for it,” said Ron doubtfully. “He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn’t he? Anyway…” He turned to Harry. “What were you going to tell us?”

Harry explained all about the warning Mr Weasley had just given him about Sirius Black being after him and to stay out of trouble. When he’d finished, Ron looked thunderstruck, Hermione had her hands over her mouth, Draco was paler than usual and biting his lip in worry, and Sarah was resigned.

“Honestly, Harry,” she said, sighing deeply. “I’m not even surprised by this point.”

“ _Sarah_!”

“What, Hermione? It’s true! Harry always finds trouble – it’s _not_ surprising that a mass murderer broke out of prison to find him,” Sarah calmly stated, lying back to lean against Draco’s chest. He shifted to accommodate her.

“I don’t find trouble,” said Harry, nettled. “Trouble usually finds _me_.”

“Eh, semantics,” Sarah said, waving her hand through the air.

“What’s that noise?” Ron said suddenly.

A faint, tinny sort of whistle was coming from somewhere. They looked all around the compartment.

“It’s coming from your trunk, Harry,” said Ron, standing up and reaching into the luggage rack. A moment later he had pulled out a small object from between Harry’s robes. It was spinning very fast in the palm of Ron’s hand and glowing brilliantly.

“Is that a _Sneakoscope?_ ” Draco asked interestedly, leaning forward against Sarah’s back to get a closer look.

“Yeah…mind you, it’s a very cheap one,” Ron said. “it went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol’s leg to send it to Harry.”

“Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?” said Hermione shrewdly.

“No! Well…I wasn’t supposed to be using Errol. You know he’s not really up to long journeys…but how else was I supposed to get Harry’s present to him?”

“Stick it back in the trunk,” Harry advised as the Sneakoscope whistled piercingly, “or it’ll wake him up.”

He nodded toward Professor Lupin. Ron stuffed the Sneakoscope into a particularly horrid pair of socks, which deadened the sound, then closed the lid of the trunk on it.

“We should get it checked in Hogsmeade,” said Ron, sitting back down. “They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me.”

“Do you know much about Hogsmeade,” Hermione asked Ron, Sarah and Draco keenly. “I’ve read it’s the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain – “

“Well, there are some smaller settlements in Wales and Wiltshire,” Draco corrected. “It’s why a lot of the pureblood families Manors are around in those locations – it’s easier to hide a giant magical house when you only have wizards as neighbours. The closest town to the Manor is near Stonehenge, I think…”

“That’s all interesting and everything,” Ron said in an offhand sort of way, “but that’s not why I want to go. I just want to get into Honeydukes!”

“Of course, you do,” Sarah muttered, closing her eyes and resting her head against Draco’s chest, under his chin.

“What’s that?” said Hermione.

“It’s this sweetshop,” said Ron, a dreamy look coming over his face, “where they’ve got _everything_ …Pepper Imps – they make you smoke at the mouth – and great fat Chocoballs fall of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you’re thinking what to write next – “

“Yes, those are a particular weakness of Draco’s,” Sarah smirked. “Narcissa once got him a pack and he ate them all in one night – he was ill for ages and practically bouncing off the walls.”

“I was five!” Draco said in exasperation. “What did you expect to happen?”

“But Hogsmeade’s a very interesting place, isn’t it?” Hermione pressed on eagerly. “In _Sites of Historical Sorcery_ it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain – “

Sarah tuned out as Ron interrupted Hermione and continued to go on about the various sweets at Honeydukes. She opened her eyes, however, when Harry said sullenly, “ Suspect it will. You’ll have to tell me when you find out.”

“What?” Sarah said, sitting up and glancing across the compartment at the raven-haired boy.

“I can’t go. The Dursleys didn’t sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn’t either.”

Ron looked horrified but Sarah was struggling to contain a laugh.

“I’m sorry – “ she giggled. “It is horrible news but are you seriously saying you asked the _Minister for Magic_ to sign your _Hogsmeade_ form?”

Harry nodded sheepishly and Sarah burst into quiet giggles, turning around to bury her head in Draco’s chest to muffle the sound.

“ _You’re not allowed to come?_ But – no way – McGonagall or someone will give you permission – “

Sarah laughed at that. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House and was very strict.

“ – or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle – “

“Absolutely not,” Draco said adamantly. “Harry shouldn’t be sneaking out of the castle with Black on the loose – “

“Yeah, I expect that’s what McGonagall will say when I ask for permission,” said Harry bitterly.

“If it makes you feel any better, Harry,” Sarah said. “I didn’t get my form signed either.”

“ _What_?” Draco cried, looking at Sarah in anguish. “I’m not going then – not without you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Draco,” Sarah scoffed. “Don’t miss out just because I can’t go.”

“It won’t be as fun without you or Harry,” he argued, crossing his arms stubbornly. “What’s the point of exploring the village when I don’t have two of my best friends with me?”

“That’s very sweet, love, but still ridiculous,” Sarah said, shaking her head fondly. “What you can do instead is bring us lots of sweets and books.”

“How will I know what you will like if you aren’t there to try them yourselves?” Draco pouted. “I’m not going.”

“Yes, you are.”

“I’m not.”

“Are too.”

“ _Am not!”_

“Yes, you will – !”

“Get out of here!”

Ron’s shout interrupted Sarah and Draco’s argument and they turned to see that at some point during their conversation, Hermione had let out Crookshanks, who had immediately leapt towards Ron’s pocket.

“Ron, don’t!” Hermione said angrily as Ron shoved Crookshanks away.

Ron was about to answer back when Professor Lupin stirred. They watched him apprehensively, but he simply turned his head the other way, mouth slightly open, and slept on.

The Hogwarts Express moved steadily north and the scenery outside became wilder and darker. Occasionally people ran past the door of the compartment, chasing friends of animals down the corridor.

When the trolley witch arrived, Ron asked if they should wake up the Professor. Despite Hermione trying, he slept on, dead to the world.

“I suppose he _is_ asleep?” said Ron quietly as they gathered their food. “I mean – he hasn’t died, has he?”

“No, no, he’s breathing,” whispered Hermione, taking the Cauldron Cake Harry passed her.

He might not be very good company, but Professor Lupin’s presence in their compartment had its uses. Mid-afternoon, just as it had started to rain, blurring the rolling hills outside the window, they heard footsteps in the corridor again, and their least favourite people appeared at the door: Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

Harry and Ron exchanged their usual harsh words with the pair but Sarah just ignored them, content to close her eyes and doze for the remainder of the trip.

A while later, she felt the train begin to slow down and groggily sat up, rubbing her eyes and stretching slightly.

“Great,” said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Professor Lupin to try and see outside. “I’m starving. I want to get to the feast…”

“We can’t be there yet,” said Hermione, checking her watch.

“So why’re we stopping?”

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.

“Something’s not right,” Draco said, a worried edge to his voice. “We shouldn’t be stopping in the middle of nowhere.”

Harry, who was nearest to the door, got up to look into the corridor.

The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Draco and Ron lunged forward to stock their luggage from falling on them as Harry was thrown backwards from the door. Sarah helped him into the seat next to her. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness.

“What’s going on?” said Ron’s voice from across the compartment.

“Ouch!” gasped Hermione. “Ron, that was my foot!”

“Draco, sit down,” Harry said, reaching out a hand in the darkness to find the blond. Once connected, Harry drew Draco toward them, directing him to the seat beside Harry.

“D’you think we’ve broken down?”

“Dunno…”

There was a squeaking sound and Sarah saw the dim black outline of Ron, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out.

“There’s something moving out there,” Ron said. “I think people are coming aboard…”

Sarah grasped Harry’s hand tightly in one hand while the other held her wand.

The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell painfully over Sarah’s legs.

“OUCH!”

“Sorry – d’you know what’s going on? – Ouch – sorry – “

“Hullo, Neville,” said Harry, feeling around in the dark and pulling Neville up by his cloak.

“Harry? Is that you? What’s happening?”

“No idea – sit down – “

There was a loud hissing and a yelp of pain; Neville had tried to sit on Crookshanks. Sarah heard Hermione soothing the cat.

“I’m going to go and ask the driver what’s going on,” came Hermione’s voice. Sarah felt her pass them, heard the door slide open again, and then a thud and two loud squeals of pain.

“Who’s that?”

“Who’s _that_?”

“Ginny?”

“Hermione?”

“What are you doing?”

“I was looking for Ron – “

“Come in and sit down – “

“Not here!” Harry said hurriedly. “ _I’m_ here! Other side.”

“Ouch!” said Neville.

“Quiet!” said a hoarse voice suddenly.

Professor Lupin appeared to have woken up at last. Sarah could hear his movements in the corner. None of them spoke.

There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames. They illuminated his tired, grey face, but his eyes looked alert and wary.

“Stay where you are,” he said in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with his handful of fire held out in front of him.

But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin’s hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Sarah’s eyes darted downward, and what she saw made her stomach contract and her hand tighten on Harry’s. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, greyish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water…

And then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings. An intense cold swept over them all and Sarah felt her breath catch in her chest. She began to shiver violently, teeth clacking together. The cold went deeper than her skin. It was inside her chest, it was inside her very heart…

She felt her grip on Harry’s hand loosen as a pounding grew louder in her head. She couldn’t see. Couldn’t hear. She was drowning in cold. An immense feeling of despair overwhelmed her and she choked back a sob as she heard her own voice screaming, louder and louder with each passing second. Her body felt too heavy and she felt the world tilt as she lost her balance.

Strong hands grabbed her before she hit the ground and suddenly the intense cold dissipated enough for her to open her eyes. The lanterns above her were flickering with light once again and the floor was shaking – the Hogwarts Express was moving again. She looked around hazily to see she had slid out of her seat. Professor Lupin had his hands on her shoulders, keeping her upright on the floor. Draco was crouched in front of her, his face tight with worry. She turned her head and saw Harry on the floor beside her, Ron and Hermione kneeling anxiously next to him. Sarah sucked in a wobbly breath and she tried to fight the chill that remained deep within her bones.

“Wh–what happened?” she stuttered weakly, allowing Draco and Lupin to lift her back into her seat. Immediately, Draco wrapped his arms around her, the warmth from his body slowly pushing away the lasting cold.

Hermione and Ron heaved Harry into the seat next to her and Sarah drew the shaking boy closer, wrapping an arm around his thin waist.

“Yeah,” Harry said. “Where’s that – that thing? Who screamed?”

Ron and Hermione looked worriedly at Harry.

“No one screamed, mate,” Ron said slowly.

“But I heard…”

“I heard screaming, too,” Sarah whispered. “But I think it was my own.”

Her friends looked at her anxiously but Professor Lupin nodded his head.

“You could be right, Sarah,” he said. “That was a dementor – horrid creatures. They guard Azkaban. They make you relive your worst memories.”

“It made me feel like I was drowning in sadness and cold,” she admitted. “Like it was pulling me under…”

The look on Harry’s face told Sarah that he left that too.

A loud snap made them all jump. Professor Lupin was breaking an enormous slab of chocolate into pieces.

“Here,” he said, handing Sarah and Harry large pieces. “Eat it. It’ll help.”

Sarah cringed but took it – she wasn’t that much of a fan for chocolate. Harry didn’t eat his either but that was because he was staring intently at Professor Lupin.

Lupin smirked slightly at them. “Just trust me, it will help – even if you don’t like it. Now, I need to speak to the driver, excuse me…”

“Are you sure you’re both okay?” said Hermione, watching them anxiously.

Sarah nodded but wiped her face when she realised it was wet.

“I was crying?” she said in surprise.

“Yeah, we thought you were both having a fit or something,” said Ron, who still looked scared. “You went sort of rigid and then Harry fell off his seat and started twitching. You were whimpering, Sarah and nearly fell off before Lupin caught you – “

“And then he stepped over you both, and walked toward the dementor, and pulled out his wand,” said Hermione, “and he said, ‘None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.’ But the dementor didn’t move, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away…”

“It was horrible,” said Neville, in a higher voice than usual. “Did you feel how cold it got when it came it?”

“I felt weird,” said Ron, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. “Like I’d never be cheerful again…”

Ginny, who was huddled in her corner looking nearly as bad as Sarah felt, gave a small sob; Hermione went over and put a comforting arm around her.

“But didn’t any of you – fall off your seats?” said Harry awkwardly.

“No,” said Ron. “But Ginny was shaking like mad.”

“Are you okay?” Sarah whispered to Draco, who had been quiet up until this point.

He nodded shallowly. “Yes. I don’t have as bad as memories as you do.”

Draco turned his startingly silver eyes upon her and stared intently.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked. “It can’t have been pleasant…”

Sarah wasn’t even surprised that he had guessed what she had relived.

She nodded slowly and smiled at him. “I will be,” she assured.

Professor Lupin had come back. He paused as he entered, looked around and said, with a small smile, “I haven’t poisoned that chocolate you know…”

Sarah scrunched her nose up and took a small bite. To her great surprise, she felt warmth spread suddenly to the tips of her fingers and toes. She took another small bite for giving up, shoving it at Draco with a mumbled, “Please finish this for me.”

Draco smirked softly before inhaling the chocolate. If there was one good thing about her not liking the treat, it was that Draco always got more of it.

“We’ll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes,” said Professor Lupin, a nostalgic smile on his face. “Are you both all right?”

Sarah nodded as Harry said, “Fine,” in a small, embarrassed voice. She leant into his side and rested her head on his shoulder comfortingly.

They didn’t talk much during the remainder of the journey, with only Hermione asking Professor Lupin questions about the upcoming school year. At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, and there was a great scramble to get outside. It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets.

Draco wrapped Sarah under his cloak with him, pressing her tightly against his side as she shivered violently.

They waved at Hagrid over the top of the crowd but couldn’t stop to chat. They followed the rest of the school along the platform and out onto a rough, mud track, where stagecoaches awaited the students. They bundled into a carriage, which resulted in Sarah sitting on Draco and Harry’s laps as they tried to fit seven people in a space made for six.

At last, the carriage swayed to a halt, and they all tumbled out.

Crabbed suddenly elbowed his way past Hermione and said in a delighted, drawling voice, “You _fainted_ , Potter. And you too, Deaumont? You actually _fainted_?”

“Shove off, Crabbe,” said Draco, whose jaw was clenched.

“Did you faint as well, Malfoy?” said Crabbe loudly. “Did the scary old dementor frighten you, too?”

“Is there a problem here?” said a mild voice. Professor Lupin had just gotten out of the next carriage.

Crabbe gave Professor Lupin an insolent stare, which took in the patches on his robes and the dilapidated suitcase. With a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice, he said, “Oh, no – er – _Professor_ ,” then he smirked at Goyle and led him up the steps into the castle.

“Bloody wanker,” Sarah mumbled spitefully.

Hermione prodded Ron in the back to make him hurry, and they joined the crowd swarming up the steps, through the giant oak front doors, into the cavernous entrance hall, which was lit with flaming torches and housed a magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors.

The door into the Great Hall stood open at the right; Sarah followed the crowd toward it, but had barely glimpsed the enchanted ceiling when a voice called, “Potter! Granger! Deaumont! Malfoy! I want to see you all!”

The four of them turned around in surprise. Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape were standing on the edge of the crowd. They fought their way over to the pair with difficulty, leaving Ron to be swept up with the rest of the students.

“There’s no need to look so worried – we just want a word in my office,” she told them when they halted before her.

Professor McGonagall ushered them away from the chattering crowd, up the marble staircase, and along a corridor.

Once they were in her office, a small room with a large, welcoming fire, Professor McGonagall motioned for them to sit down. She settled herself behind her desk, while Professor Snape lurked behind her, half-cloaked in shadow, and said abruptly, “Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you tow were taken ill on the train,” nodding her head at Sarah and Harry.

Before they could reply, there was a soft knock on the door and Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, came bustling in.

Harry went red. “I’m fine,” he said, “I don’t need anything – “

Sarah nodded along quickly.

“Oh, it’s you two, is it?” said Madam Pomfrey, looking as if she was struggling not to her roll her eyes in exasperation. She ignored Harry’s words and bent down to stare closely at them both. “I suppose you’ve been doing something dangerous again?”

Sarah bristled in offence as Draco smothered a laugh.

“It was a dementor, Poppy,” said Professor McGonagall severely.

They exchanged a dark look, and Madam Pomfrey clucked disapprovingly.

“Setting dementors around a school,” she muttered, pushing back Harry’s hair and feeling his forehead before moving on to Sarah. “They won’t be the last who collapses. Yes, they’re clammy all over. Terrible things, dementors, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate – “

“I’m not delicate!” Sarah and Harry said in unison.

“Of course you’re not,” said Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly, now taking their pulses. Draco coughed next to them, lips twitching into a smile before his hand covered them.

“What do they need?” said Professor McGonagall crisply. “Bedrest? Should they perhaps spend the night in the hospital wing?”

“No way!” Sarah argued. “We’re fine! Professor Lupin gave us chocolate on the train and we’re feeling much better.”

“Did he, now?” said Madam Pomfrey approvingly. “So we’ve finally got a Defense teacher who knows his remedies?”

She reached into her pocket and withdrew two chocolate frogs, handing them to Sarah and Harry. Sarah groaned and handed hers to Harry.

“I really don’t like solid chocolate,” she groaned as Madam Pomfrey looked at her in disapproval.

“Very well, then,” the nurse stated. “At least have some hot chocolate if you can. Mr Malfoy, make sure she has something.”

“Are you sure you both are all right?” Professor McGonagall said sharply.

“ _Yes_ ,” they replied.

“Very well. Mr Potter, kindly wait outside while Professor Snape and I have a quick word with the others about their course schedules, then we can go down to the feast together.”

McGonagall waited until Harry and Madam Pomfrey had disappeared into the hallway before stating, “You three have made scheduling difficult this year.”

Draco and Sarah smirked at each other while Hermione looked slightly nervous.

“Does that mean we won’t be able to do some of the subjects?” she said, sounding slightly horrified by the idea.

“No, Miss Granger,” Professor McGonagall replied with a small smile. “Professor Snape and I have been in contact with the Ministry to provide you with a solution.”

Professor Snape stepped forward from the shadows and drawled, “The usual limit for a suitable schedule is ten subjects. You three, however, have chosen to disregard that.” He stared down at them, lips curling slightly. “It has been decided that a Time-Turner will be provided by the Ministry to allow Mr Malfoy and Miss Granger the ability to complete all their chosen subjects. You two will share it and use it only when for class. _There is no exception_. If you misuse it, it will be taken back and you will have to drop subjects, as well as dealing with a suitable punishment…”

Hermione was nodding along eagerly while Draco sat quietly, interest gleaming in his quicksilver eyes.

“Miss Deaumont,” Snape continued quietly, “as you have chosen an extra-curricular subject that is not a designated class, you shall only have one lesson per week. This will mean that you will need to use the Time-Turner on that day, as Ancient Runes is scheduled at the same time.”

“We have decided to put you three in the same classes to make it easier to avoid a mishap,” Professor McGonagall added. “This means that Slytherins and Gryffindors have more classes together this year than usual – a fact that I’m sure many of them will not be pleased of.” Both the professors looked pleased by that idea.

Professor McGonagall reached into her desk drawer and retrieved a small box. Inside was a cylindrical object with two overlapping pieces of gold, which held a miniature hourglass in the middle. A long golden chain was connected to it, allowing it to swing softly through the air.

“To use this, you give it a full turn to go back one hour, half a turn for half an hour, and so on,” Professor McGonagall explained, passing the Time Tuner to Hermione, who put the chain over her neck and tucked it into her robes.

“Keep it out of sight at all times,” Professor Snape warned. “And the most important rule is that _you_ _must not be seen_. Always ensure you find an isolated location before using it and always give yourself enough time to get where you need to be.”

“Your teachers have been informed you are in possession of this but it must remain a secret to all the students, including Mr Potter and Mr Weasley,” Professor McGonagall said sternly. “We are trusting you three with a great deal of responsibility. Do not disappoint us.”

The trio nodded seriously and thanked the professors before joining Harry in the corridor. He gave Sarah a questioning glance and she just shook her head at him. They followed Professors McGonagall and Snape back into the Great Hall, where they separated: the professors going to their empty seats at the teacher's table, Harry and Hermione veering off to the Gryffindor table, and Sarah and Draco going to the Slytherin table. Students looked at them curiously as they walked along the back of the hall but soon went back to their conversations.

“Where have you two been?” Pansy asked as soon as the pair had sat down.

“Hello to you, too,” Draco said sarcastically.

Sarah began to explain but broke off when Professor Dumbledore stood up to the podium in from of the teacher's table.

“Welcome! I have a few things to say to you all before you become befuddled by our excellent feast…”

Dumbledore cleared his throat, the candlelight shimmering on his beard.

“As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business.”

Dumbledore didn’t look pleased by this but continued, nonetheless.

“They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be followed by tricks or disguises – or even Invisibility Cloaks,” he added blandly, and Sarah and Draco smirked at each other slightly. “It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I, therefore, warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the dementors,” he finished.

“On a happier note,” he continued, “I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.”

There was some scattered, unenthusiastic applause. Only those who had been in the compartment on the train with Professor Lupin clapped hard, Sarah and Draco among them. Professor Lupin looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best robes.

“Look at Snape!” Blaise hissed from across the table.

Professor Snape was staring at Lupin with an expression of intense loathing, one that Sarah had only seen him wear when he dealt with Harry.

“As to our second appointment,” Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. “Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties.”

Sarah and Draco stared at one another, stunned, before breaking into loud applause, which was tumultuous at the Gryffindor table in particular. Hagrid was ruby-red in the face and staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard.

“Well, that explains the biting book,” Theo said dryly, an amused smirk on his face.

Suddenly, food appeared on the table before them and all conversation was forgotten. The feast was as delicious as always but Sarah, who still felt slightly queasy from the dementor, ate much less than she usually would. Draco narrowed his eyes at her before grabbing her a large mug of hot chocolate, not backing down until she had finished the entire thing. After that, she had felt much better but ready for bed.

Finally, the feast came to an end and the Slytherins trundled tiredly down to their common room. Sarah gave Draco a quick hug before stumbling to her dorm, collapsing in a heap upon her bed and falling into a blissful sleep.


	3. Chapter Three

“Class schedules,” Blaise announced as Sarah and Draco dropped into the seats beside him at breakfast. “I think they might’ve messed yours up though, you’ve got double lessons all week…”

“We’ve already spoken to Professor Snape,” Draco said calmly. Blaise just shrugged, letting the issue go.

Sarah peered at Draco’s timetable and compared it to her own. He had Muggle Studies and Arithmancy first at nine o’clock while she only had Muggle Studies. Then they both had double Transfiguration and a single period of Charms before lunch. After lunch they had double Care of Magical Creatures, then Ancient Runes. This also meant that Sarah had Ancient Studies at the same time.

“I thought Snape said you’d only be having one lesson of that?” Draco whispered, pointing at her timetable.

“I thought so too,” she replied, shrugging. “They must have changed their minds or something. Just means I’ll need the _thing_ this afternoon.”

“I’ll give it to you after Arithmancy,” muttered Draco as he buttered some toast.

She nodded in thanks and quickly ate before dragging Draco off to class. Pansy had Divination while Blaise and Theo had Arithmancy. Millicent would be joining them in Muggle Studies.

They slid into seats next to Hermione when they arrived and showed her their timetables.

“I’ve already used it,” Hermione whispered. “I just came from Divination.”

“Oh, that’s uncanny,” Draco muttered, pulling out his parchment.

Class passed quickly. When it finished, Sarah followed Draco and Hermione to a secluded corridor before watching them turn the Time-Turner back one hour and disappearing into thin air. She quickly made her way to Transfiguration where she was soon joined by the pair again, who looked slightly out of breath but quite happy.

“That was so cool, Sarah,” whispered Draco. He couldn’t say anymore because, at that moment, Harry slid into the seat on his other side, uttering a strained greeting to the pair.

Sarah looked at him in concern as he sat low in his chair. Others in the class kept sending him furtive glances. Professor McGonagall was telling them about Animagi (wizards who could transform at will into animals), but Harry didn’t even react when she suddenly transformed herself in front of their eyes into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes.

“Really, what has gotten into you all today?” said Professor McGonagall, turning back into herself with a faint _pop,_ and staring around at the class. “Not that it matters, but that’s the first time my transformation’s not got applause from the majority of a class.”

Surprisingly, nearly everyone’s heads turned toward Harry but nobody spoke. Funnily enough, it was only those who had been in Divination the period before, which apparently was nearly everybody excluding Blaise, Theo, Draco, Sarah, and Millicent. Hermione raised her hand.

“Please, Professor, we’ve just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and – “

“Ah, of course,” said Professor McGonagall, suddenly frowning. “There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?”

Everyone stared at her.

“Me,” said Harry finally.

“I see,” said Professor McGonagall, fixing Harry with her beady eyes. “Then you should know, Potter, that Sybill Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favourite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues – “

Professor McGonagall broke off, and they saw that her nostrils had gone white. She went on, more calmly, “Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney – “

She stopped again, and then said, in a very matter-of-fact tone, “You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don’t let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in.”

Sarah laughed. Harry looked a bit better.

“Yeah, Potter,” Sarah teased, leaning over Draco to punch Harry lightly in the arm. “You’re stuck with us for the foreseeable future, I’m afraid.”

Harry finally cracked a smile.

***

Sarah was pleased to get out of the castle after lunch. Yesterday’s rain had cleared; the sky was a brilliant, pale grey which matched Draco’s eyes, and the grass was springy and damp underfoot as they set off for their first-ever Care of Magical Creatures class.

Hagrid greeted them cheerfully in front of his cabin.

“C’mon, now, get a move on!” he called as the class approached. “Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin’ up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!”

For one nasty moment, Sarah thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest and she felt Draco tense up beside her. He was even more traumatised by forests after the incident in their first year. Luckily, Hagrid strolled around the edge until they found themselves outside a kind of paddock.

“Everyone gather ‘round the fence here!” he called. “That’s it – make sure yeh can see – now, firs’ thing yeh’ll want ter do it open yer books – “

“Hagrid, how do we do that?” Sarah hissed urgently from the front.

Hagrid looked confused for a moment before noticing that everyone had trapped their books closed with belts, rope or tight bags.

“Oh – “ Hagrid said, looking crestfallen. “Yeh’ve got ter _stroke_ ‘em.” He reached forward and grabbed Sarah’s copy out of her hand and unravelled the rope around it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand.

“Oh, how silly we’ve all been!” Crabbe sneered. “We should have _stroked_ them! Why didn’t we guess!”

“Shut up, Crabbe,” Draco snapped. “No one cares what you think.”

Crabbed glowered back as the rest of the class turned their attention back to Hagrid.

“Righ’ then, I’ll just go an’ get the creatures for yeh now,” Hagrid said, striding away quickly.

“God, this place is going to the dogs,” said Crabbe loudly. “That oaf teaching classes, my father’ll have a fit when I tell him – “

“Your father doesn’t have any authority to do anything about it,” Draco snarled. “So shut up and stop being an idiot.”

“Oh, unlike _your_ father, Malfoy?” Crabbe sneered. “I heard he got in some trouble this summer because of a certain _runaway_.”

Draco growled and stepped forward but was interrupted by Lavender Brown squealing, “Ooooooh!”, in a high-pitched voice.

Trotting toward them was a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Sarah had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and head of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-coloured beaks and large, brilliantly orange eyes.

“ _Hippogriffs_ ,” Sarah breathed in awe. They were magnificent. “Oh, I absolutely _love_ Hippogriffs!”

“Beau’iful, aren’ they?” Hagrid roared happily, having heard Sarah’s comment.

Sarah nodded eagerly and stepped as close to the fence as she could get. The hippogriff’ coats gleamed in the sunlight, changing smoothly from feathers to hair, each of them a different colour: stormy grey, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black.

“So,” said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, “if yeh wan’ ter come a bit nearer – “

Draco hesitantly stepped up next to Sarah, with Harry, Ron and Hermione joining them a moment later.

“Now, firs’ thing yeh gotta know abou’ hippogriffs is, they’re proud,” said Hagrid. “Easily offended, hippogriffs are. Don’t ever insult one, ‘cause it might be the last thing you do.”

Crabbe and Goyle weren’t paying attention. Sarah had a nasty feeling that they were planning how best to disrupt the lesson.

“Yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs’ move,” Hagrid continued. “it’s polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an’ yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh’re allowed ter touch him. If he doesn’ bow, then get away from him sharpish, ‘cause those talons hurt. Right – who wants ter go first?”

Most of the class backed farther away in answer but Sarah bounced on her toes saying, “Me, Hagrid! Please, please, please!”.

Hagrid beamed at her and beckoned her forward. Draco and Harry helped her climb over the paddock fence without catching her skirt on it and she eagerly walked to Hagrid’s side.

“How much do you know abou’ hippogriffs?” Hagrid asked in a low voice.

“Quite a bit, I’d say,” Sarah said. “My mother used to tell me all about them – they were her favourite animals.”

“Ah, ‘course,” Hagrid smiled. “I remember yer mum comin’ down and chattin’ with me about ‘em. Right then – let’s see how yeh get on with Buckbeak.”

He untied one of the chains, pulled the grey hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath. Draco was gripping Harry’s arm tightly in worry.

“Easy, now, Sarah,” said Hagrid quietly. “Yeh’ve got to make eye contact, now try not ter blink…Hippogriffs don’ trust yeh if yeh blink too much…”

Sarah stared intently at Buckbeak, who had turned his great, sharp head and was regarding her with one fierce orange eye.

“Tha’s it,” said Hagrid. “Tha’s it, Sarah…now, bow…”

Sarah bowed slowly, never breaking eye contact with Buckbeak. After a moment’s hesitation, the hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.

“Well done, Sarah!” said Hagrid, ecstatic. “Right – yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!”

Sarah walked carefully closer and ran her hand over Buckbeak’s smooth beak.

“Aren’t you just _gorgeous_ ,” she crooned.

The hippogriff puffed his feathers slightly at the praise and nuzzled closer to her hand. The class burst into applause.

“Righ’ then, Sarah,” said Hagrid. “I reckon he migh’ let yeh ride him!”

Sarah’s heart thudded quickly in her chest but she refused to let her nerves show on her face. Anyway, she was much too excited by the idea of riding the hippogriff to focus too much on her nerves.

“Yeh climb up there, jus’ behind the wing joint,” said Hagrid, ‘an’ mind yeh don’ pull any of his feathers out, he won’ like that…”

Sarah put her foot on top of Buckbeak’s wing and hoisted herself onto his back. He lowered himself slightly more to make it easier. Once situated, she adjusted her skirt and smiled down at Buckbeak, who had turned his head around and was observing her intently.

“You won’t let me fall off,” she said brightly, patting his side gently.

Buckbeak snorted softly before rising. Sarah quickly undid her robes and handed them to Hagrid, fearing that they would get blown off in the air. She shivered slightly in just her shirt and skirt before Hagrid returned with Draco’s jumper, which she gratefully put on, the soft fabric warm against the cool breeze.

“Go on, then!” roared Hagrid, slapping the hippogriff’s hindquarters.

Sarah quickly wrapped her arms gently around the hippogriff’s neck before he flapped twelve-foot wings and leapt forward. It was nothing like a broomstick; the hippogriff’s wings beat uncomfortably on either side of him, catching under her legs slightly, so Sarah shuffled forward a tad. She yelled in delight as Buckbeak soared through the air, skimming silently over the lake before swooping over the trees of the forest. She could feel her hair streaming behind her but didn’t care that it would be knotted once she returned to the ground – this was the most amazing thing she had done.

Much too soon, Hagrid whistled for Buckbeak and the hippogriff obediently began to circle back to earth.

“That was _amazing_!” Sarah exclaimed as she slid off Buckbeak, giving the hippogriff a grateful pat on the head.

“Good job, Sarah!” roared Hagrid as everyone except Crabbe and Goyle cheered.

Emboldened by Sarah’s success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied the hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Harry and Draco joined Sarah in front of Buckbeak, both bowing before him respectfully.

Crabbe and Goyle sauntered over to them a little while later.

“You think you’re great, don’t you, Deaumont?” Crabbe sneered, striding forward and pushing Sarah out of the way to stand in front of Buckbeak. “It’s easy. I bet it’s not even dangerous at all, you great ugly brute.”

Draco shouted as Buckbeak reared up on his hind legs and swiped at Crabbe, who jumped out of the way and pushed Sarah forward, directly into the path of the giant talons. Sarah closed her eyes and raised her arms, expecting to feel razor-sharp pain, but instead, she was roughly shoved backwards.

A scream of pain sounded and Sarah’s eyes shot open. Draco was kneeling on the ground, holding his left arm close to his chest, blood blossoming all over his robes.

“Draco!” Harry shouted, throwing himself to the ground beside the pale blond.

Hagrid had raced over was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get to Crabbe, who had run back to the fence.

Sarah reached out a comforting hand to the hippogriff, who immediately calmed down and allowed himself to be led away. Once he was gone, Sarah dropped to Draco’s other side.

“You idiot!” she said, gingerly pulling Draco’s arm away from his chest.

His forearm had three large gashes through it, cutting all the way to the bone. Blood was still pooling from the wounds, so Sarah bundled her robes around them and pressed down firmly.

“Hagrid, we’re taking him to the hospital wing,” Sarah announced, helping Draco to his feet.

He swayed slightly from blood loss but Harry was there, wrapping an arm around Draco’s waist and placing Draco’s uninjured arm across his shoulders.

Hermione ran to hold open the gate as Sarah and Harry led a stumbling Draco across the paddock. Sarah could hear Hagrid shouting at Crabbe behind them.

It was a long, painful trip to the hospital wing. Draco swayed dangerously and nearly fainted but Harry held firm, refusing to let the other boy fall.

Madam Pomfrey bustled over and gasped, “Oh dear,” before immediately snapping into action.

Sarah offered to help as Harry lay Draco carefully on a bed. Madam Pomfrey nodded and directed her to get equipment and potions, sending her rushing all over the ward as the nurse cleaned up the blood and started to heal the gashes.

When Madam Pomfrey finally finished, she gave Draco a potion which immediately put him to sleep.

“That should do it,” the nurse said. “There won’t be any scarring. Off to class now, you too. Thank you for your assistance, Miss Deaumont.”

Sarah and Harry quickly left the hospital wing before separating to their separate classes, with Sarah telling Professor Babbling that Draco was in the hospital wing.

By the time dinner came around, Draco was still asleep, so Sarah went alone.

She joined Harry, Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table, who immediately asked if Draco was okay.

“He’s fine, still sleeping,” she replied tiredly. She was exhausted. The extra classes were interesting but with the day she’s had, she was more than ready to go to sleep.

After dinner, instead of going straight to sleep, she started on her pile of homework. She had taken up the entire space at the best table in front of the fire, books and parchment spread everywhere.

Eventually, when nearly the last person had trickled out of the common room, she finished. She yawned widely as she tidied up her work before trudging out of the common room and into her dorm, where she fell asleep before her head even hit the pillow.


	4. Chapter Four

Draco wasn’t allowed back in class until Thursday morning when he finally convinced Madam Pomfrey to let him go after threatening to leave and not come back for a checkup. Eventually, the nurse had relented and wrapped his arm in a sling, despite his protests that he was okay.

Sarah snickered at him all the way to Potions.

“It’s so inconvenient,” he whined. “My arm isn’t even injured anymore!”

“Stop playing with it or we’re going to have to go back and get it rewrapped,” Sarah warned, smirking slightly.

Draco immediately dropped his right hand away from the bandages, a grimace lighting his face.

“This will hopefully teach you to not throw yourself in front of raging beasts,” joked Sarah, a serious undertone to her words.

“Well it was either that or let you get mauled by it,” Draco said, flushing.

Sarah just shook her head and looped her arm through Draco’s good one, pushing open the door for him when they arrived outside the Potions classroom.

Professor Snape looked up as they entered, his black eyes narrowing at the sight of Draco’s sling.

“Sit down, you two,” he said, turning back to the essays he was marking.

Sarah and Draco hurried to the table next to Harry and Ron.

“You’ll have to make my potion for me, Sarah,” Draco whispered miserably. “I’m not that coordinated with my right hand…”

Sarah just went up to Professor Snape and asked if Draco could be exempt from the potion-making today. Snape barely lifted his gaze, just giving her a shallow nod before waving her away.

“Did you hear?” said Seamus Finnigan, leaning over to their table, “apparently Sirius Black’s been sighted. It was in the _Daily Prophet_ this morning.”

“Where?” Draco and Sarah said quickly, glancing back to see Harry and Ron listening intently.

“Not too far from here,” said Seamus, who looked excited. “It was a muggle who saw him. ‘Course, she didn’t really understand. The muggles just think he’s an ordinary criminal, don’t they? So she phoned the telephone hotline. By the time the Ministry of Magic got there, he was gone…”

“Not too far from here…,” Ron repeated, looking significantly at Harry. He turned around and saw Crabbe watching closely. “What, Crabbe? Need something skinned?”

But Crabbe’s eyes were shining malevolently, and they were fixed on Harry. He leaned toward him.

“Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” said Harry, offhandedly, rolling his eyes.

Crabbe’s thin mouth was curving into a mean smile.

“Of course, if it were me,” he said quietly, “I’d have done something before now. I wouldn’t be staying in school like a good boy, I’d be out there looking for him.”

“What are you talking about, Crabbe?” said Ron roughly.

“Don’t you _know_ , Potter?” breathed Crabbe, his dark eyes narrowed.

“Enough, Crabbe,” Draco snapped quietly.

“What, Malfoy? Haven’t you told your boyfriend yet?” Crabbed leered.

“Told me what?” Harry said quickly, turning toward Draco in confusion.

“It’s nothing,” Draco said hastily, avoiding eye contact.

“I’d want revenge if it were me,” Crabbe continued. “I’d hunt him down myself.”

“ _What are you talking about?_ ” said Harry angrily, but at that moment Snape called, “You should have finished adding your ingredients now; this potion needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers…”

“What did Crabbe mean?” Harry asked Draco, hurt shining behind his emerald eyes. “Why does he think you know something?”

“He’s just being annoying,” Draco said, still not meeting Harry’s eyes. “It’s just stuff my father was saying over the holidays – I doubt it’s even true.”

“Tell me,” urged Harry.

“Harry, it’s really not important. Please drop it,” Draco begged.

“Do you know anything about it?” Harry questioned, rounding on Sarah.

“No, no,” she assured, raising her hands in the air. “But I’d trust Draco, Harry. He would have told you if it was important.”

Harry nodded with a frown and reluctantly dropped the subject.

“ _Thank you_ ,” Draco muttered when Harry was out of earshot.

“You’re explaining later,” Sarah hissed back.

Draco bowed his head in acknowledgement and they went back to their potion.

***

Their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson was after lunch. Professor Lupin wasn’t there when they arrived at his classroom. They all sat down, took out their books, quills and parchment, and were talking when he finally entered the room. Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher’s desk. He was as shabby as ever but looked healthier than he had on the train, as though he had had a few square meals.

“Good afternoon,” he said. “Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today’s will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands.”

They had never had a practical Defense lesson – the pixies debacle with Lockhart couldn’t count. Hesitantly, they back up their bags and waited for more instructions.

“Right then,” said Professor Lupin when everyone was ready. “If you’d follow me.”

Puzzled but interested, the class got to its feet and followed Professor Lupin out of the classroom. He led them along the deserted corridor and around a corner, where the first thing they saw was Peeves the Poltergeist, who was floating upside down in midair and stuffing the nearest keyhole with chewing gum.

Peeves didn’t look up until Professor Lupin was two feet away; then he wiggled his curly-toed feet and broke into song.

“Loony, loopy, Lupin,” Peeves sang. “Loony, loopy, Lupin, loony, loopy, Lupin – “

Rude and unmanageable as he almost always was, Peeves usually showed some respect to the teachers. Everyone looked quickly at Professor Lupin and were surprised to see him smiling.

“Hello, Peeves,” he said pleasantly. “I’d take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you. Mr Filch won’t be able to get into his brooms.”

Peeves just blew a loud, wet raspberry at Lupin.

Professor Lupin gave a small sigh and took out his wand.

“This is a useful little spell,” he told the class over his shoulder. “Please watch closely.”

He raised his wand to shoulder height, said, “ _Waddiwasi_!” and pointed it at Peeves.

With the force of a bullet, the wad of chewing gum shot out of the keyhole and straight down Peeve’s left nostril; he whirled upright and zoomed away, cursing.

“Cool, sir!” said Dean Thomas in amazement.

“Thank you, Dean,” said Professor Lupin, putting his wand away again. “Shall we proceed?”

The class set off again, looked at Professor Lupin with increased respect.

“I like him,” Sarah murmured to Harry, who nodded his head vigorously.

“Inside, please,” said Professor Lupin as they came to a stop before the staffroom door. He opened it for them and allowed them to shuffle through into the large room.

As Professor Lupin came in and made to close the door behind him, Professor Snape, who was the only occupant of the room, said, “Leave it open, Lupin. I’d rather not witness this.”

He got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes billowing behind him. At the doorway, he turned on his heel and said, “Possibly no one’s warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear.”

Neville went scarlet. Draco glared at his godfather; it was bad enough that he bullied Neville in his own classes, let alone doing it in front of other teachers.

Professor Lupin raised his eyebrows.

“Now, Severus, I’m sure that’s not the case. I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation,” he said, “and I am sure he will perform it admirably.”

Neville’s face went, if possible, even redder. Snape’s lip curled, but he stalked to the door.

Before he left, he halted before Draco and Sarah, and said in a voice low enough only for the two of them to hear, “Be careful with this,” he warned. “You may not want word to get out about what you may see.” With those cryptic words, he left, slamming the door behind him.

“What the hell was that about?” Sarah asked Draco, who looked horribly confused.

“I have no bloody clue…”

“Now, then,” said Professor Lupin, beckoning the class toward the end of the room, where there was nothing but an old wardrobe where the teachers kept their spare robes. As Professor Lupin went to stand next to it, the wardrobe gave a sudden wobble, banging off the wall.

“Nothing to worry about,” said Professor Lupin calmly because a few people had jumped backwards in alarm. “There’s a boggart in there.”

Most people seemed to feel that this _was_ something to worry about, Sarah being one of them. She thought she was started to understand Snape’s cryptic warning now.

“Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces,” said Professor Lupin. “Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks – I once met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. _This_ one moved in yesterday afternoon and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give to my third years some practice. So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what _is_ a boggart?”

Sarah put up her hand.

“It’s a shape-shifter,” she said, once Professor Lupin called on her. “It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most.”

“Couldn’t have put it better myself,” said Professor Lupin, and Sarah glowed. “So the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears. This means,” he continued, ignoring Neville’s small sputter of terror, “that we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?”

Harry looked confused for a moment before saying, “Er – because there are so many of us, it won’t know what shape it should be?”

“Precisely,” said Professor Lupin. Hermione put her hand down, looking a little disappointed. “It’s always best to have company when you’re dealing with a boggart. It can get confused. The charm to repel a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart off is _laughter_. You must force it to assume a form you find amusing.”

Professor Lupin finished his explanation and smiled brightly at the gathered students.

“We will practice without wands first. After me, please… _Riddikulus_!”

The class echoed him and he nodded in approval.

“Very good. Now, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville.”

The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Neville, who walked forward as though he were heading for the gallows.

“Right, Neville,” said Professor Lupin. “First things first: What would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?”

Neville’s lips moved, but no noise came out.

“Didn’t catch that, Neville, sorry,” said Professor Lupin cheerfully.

Neville looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help him, then said, in barely more than a whisper, “Professor Snape.”

Most of the class laughed. Even Neville grinned apologetically. Professor Lupin’s eyes, however, tightened at the corners slightly before his face shifted into one of thoughtfulness.

“Professor Snape…hmmm…Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?”

“Er – yes,” said Neville nervously. “But – I don’t want the boggart to turn into her either.”

Professor Lupin laughed before whispering something in Neville’s ear. Neville looked dumbstruck by whatever was said but he shook his head and drew his wand slowly, shaking all over.

“Before Neville begins, I would like you all to think of the thing that scares you most,” Professor Lupin said as he walked Neville closer to the wardrobe.

The room went quiet. Sarah didn’t really want to think too closely about what scared her the most – she knew that anything she saw would not be pleasant.

Sarah could hear Ron muttering quietly on the other side of Harry, “Take its legs off.” She knew that his biggest fear was spiders – if only hers was that simple…

“Everyone ready?” said Professor Lupin.

 _No_ , Sarah wanted to say but she remained quiet.

“On the count of three, Neville,” said Professor Lupin, who was pointing his wand at the handle of the wardrobe. “One – two – three – _now_!”

A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin’s wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, Professor Snape stepped out, his eyes flashing at Neville.

Neville backed away, his wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Snape was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes.

“ _R-R-Riddikulus!”_ squeaked Neville.

There was a noise like a whip crack. Snape stumbled and Sarah momentarily forgot her own nerves. Snape was wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten vulture, and he was swinging a huge crimson handbag.

There was a roar of laughter. Sarah choked as she struggled to not react.

“Oh, Sev is going to _kill_ me for laughing at that,” Draco groaned, trying to hold back a wide smile.

The boggart paused, confused, and Professor Lupin shouted, “Parvati! Forward!”

Parvati walked forward, her face set. Snape rounded on her. There was another crack, and where he had stood was a blood-stained, bandaged mummy; its sightless face was turned to Parvati and it began to walk toward her very slowly, dragging its feet, its stiff arms rising –

“ _Riddikulus!”_ cried Parvati.

A bandage unravelled at the mummy’s feet; it became entangled, fell face forward, and its head rolled off.

“Seamus!” roared Professor Lupin.

Seamus darted past Parvati.

 _Crack!_ A woman with floor-length black hair appeared. Her skeletal, green-tinged face split wide as a long, wailing shriek sounded – a banshee.

“ _Riddikulus!_ ” shouted Seamus.

The banshee’s voice suddenly disappeared.

“Blaise!”

 _Crack_! A giant snake which twisted itself up into a knot, then – _crack!_ – a rat, which chased its tail in a circle before – _crack!_ – becoming a single, bloody eyeball.

“It’s confused!” shouted Lupin. “We’re getting there! Pansy!”

Pansy hurried forward.

 _Crack!_ The eyeball became a severed hand, which flipped over and began to creep along the floor like a crab.

“ _Riddikulus!_ ” yelled Pansy.

There was a snap, and the hand was trapped in a mousetrap.

“Excellent! Ron, you next!”

Ron leapt forward.

 _Crack_!”

Quite a few people screamed. A giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair, was advancing on Ron, clicking its pincers menacingly. For a moment, Sarah thought Ron had frozen. Then –

 _“Riddikulus!_ ” bellowed Ron, and the spider’s legs vanished; it rolled over and over away from them.

“Sarah! Your turn!” shouted Professor Lupin.

Sarah stepped forward on shaky legs, trying her hardest not the let her hand wobble too obviously.

The boggart rolled to a stop in front of her and froze for a moment before – _crack!_

Sarah felt like she had been punched in the chest. All the air left her lungs as she stared down at her mother’s corpse lying on the ground. She heard someone suck in a sharp breath behind her as Draco’s corpse appeared next to her mothers.

She held out a hand behind her as someone stepped forward, raising her wand in the other.

She sucked in a deep breath to shout the incantation when the boggart shifted once more – and Sarah’s father appeared, wand raised.

“ _You won’t get away this time, girl!”_ it hissed as it leapt forward, a familiar curse on its tongue.

“Here!” shouted Professor Lupin, running forward and pushing Sarah behind him.

She stumbled and felt hands grasp her to keep her upright.

_Crack!_

Her father vanished and was replaced by a silvery-white orb hanging in the air in front of Lupin, who said, _“Riddikulus_!” almost lazily.

_Crack!_

“Forward, Neville, and finish him off!” said Lupin as the boggart landed on the floor as a cockroach.

Sarah didn’t pay attention to whatever happened next. Instead, she pushed through the surrounding students to the back corner of the class, ignoring the eyes that followed her curiously.

Draco wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hid her from view as she struggled to suck in enough air to fill her lungs.

“Sarah.”

She blinked, trying to breathe.

“Sarah, I need you to look at me. Focus on me.”

Her eyes snapped up and met Harry’s large, green ones.

“Good,” he said calmly. “In and out – just like that – good – copy me – _in and out_.”

Finally, she was able to suck in a deep, shuddering breath.

Sarah didn’t notice that the rest of the class had left until Harry’s eyes were replaced by Professor Lupin’s kind, amber ones.

“Come on, Sarah,” he said softly. “We’re going to get you some tea.”

She nodded weakly and allowed Professor Lupin and Draco to steer her toward Lupin’s office, where the four of them sat down. A few waves of his wand later, and Sarah was holding a steaming cup of fragrant tea.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with that, Sarah,” said Professor Lupin once everyone had settled into seats.

Sarah was bracketed by Harry and Draco, whose solid warmth slowly spread into her shaking limbs.

“I didn’t know what it would turn into,” she admitted quietly. “Although, now that I think about it more, I’m not surprised it turned into my father.”

“Why do you say that?” Professor Lupin asked mildly. There was something so soothing – so _familiar_ about him that Sarah felt the need to tell the truth.

“He attacked him this summer,” she confessed. “I ran away as soon as he did. I stayed at the Leaky Cauldron.”

Professor Lupin’s eyes widened slightly in horror.

“I never liked Antonius but I wouldn’t have thought he would attack his own daughter,” he said, disgust tinging his words.

“You know my father?” Sarah said in astonishment.

“Yes,” Lupin said wryly. “Unfortunately.”

“How do you know him?”

“He was a few years above me at Hogwarts,” explained Lupin. “Once your mother was betrothed to him, it was inevitable that we would become acquaintances.”

“What do you mean?”

Lupin sighed sadly, amber eyes fixed on Sarah’s green ones.

“Your mother was one of my best friends during school, Sarah,” he revealed.

Sarah, Harry and Draco gaped at him in shock.

“But – but how come I’ve never known about you?” she spluttered.

“Your father didn’t let your mother associate with me once they were married,” Professor Lupin said sourly. “Your mother managed to sneak away every so often though. Sometimes she even managed to bring you as well.”

Sarah gasped, a sudden thought occurring to her.

“Today must have been horrible for you, sir!” she cried. “If you were my mother’s best friend and then having to see her – her – “

“I’ll admit it was not pleasant,” he said quietly. “But I imagine it was even worse for you.”

“Yeah,” Draco said suddenly, squeezing her hand tightly. “You scared me half to death when my body popped into existence.”

Sarah laughed weakly, a fragile smile gracing her face.

“I think I might have been able to do the spell,” she confided. “Before it turned into my father, that is.”

“That is completely understandable,” Professor Lupin said encouragingly. “And also quite impressive, considering the emotions that would have been assaulting you.”

Sarah nodded at him, her smile stronger this time.

“Thank you for the tea, Professor,” she said gratefully.

“Anytime, Sarah,” he smiled.

She hesitated for a moment before looking at Harry briefly. He seemed to understand what she was thinking and nodded his head slightly in encouragement.

“Sir?” Sarah asked tentatively. At Professor Lupin’s inclined eyebrow, she continued, “Do you think that, sometimes, I could come and ask you about my mother?”

Professor Lupin’s smile turned nostalgic. “I’d like that very much, Sarah.”

Sarah beamed at her teacher and stood up, pulling Harry and Draco to their feet.

“Thank you again,” she intoned. “Truly.”

“It was my pleasure,” Professor Lupin said with a smile. “Now off you go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I think I might've gone overboard with the boggart but I think it's good for the plot? Maybe?


	5. Chapter Five

In no time at all, Defense Against the Dark Arts had become most people’s favourite class. Only Crabbe and Goyle had anything bad to say about Professor Lupin, usually regarding the state of his robes.

But no one else cared that Professor Lupin’s robes were patched and frayed. His next lessons were just as interesting as the first. After boggarts, they studied Red Caps, nasty little goblinlike creatures that lurked wherever there had been bloodshed; in the dungeons of castles and the potholes of deserted battlefields, waiting to bludgeon those who had gotten lost. From Red Caps they moved on to kappas, creepy water-dwellers that looked like scaly monkeys, with webbed hands itching to strangle unwitting waders in their ponds.

Sarah’s other classes were just as interesting, despite Ron constantly claiming otherwise. Ancient Runes and Ancient Studies soon became her favourite way to pass the time when she wasn’t reading. She had gotten into the habit of practising runes by writing notes to Draco or Hermione, who had rolled their eyes at her but had eagerly learnt to reply.

She and Harry had lots of fun examining everything she learnt in Muggle Studies without Hermione’s critical explanations.

“So, you mean to tell me that muggles _fly_ in those?” Sarah said incredulously, turning the picture of the _aeroplane_ around.

“Yep,” Harry stated with a large smile. He pointed at what was labelled the ‘turbines’. “These help give the plane enough power to lift off the ground while the wings,” he pointed at the two long pieces that stuck out of the side of the body, “help it glide through the air.”

“Ridiculous,” Draco said from her other side. “You’ll never see me getting on one of those death machines.”

“They’re quite useful considering that muggles can’t Floo,” Harry counted, continuing to smile widely at their disbelieving head shakes.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” stated Sarah. “Now, tell me more about this _toaster_.”

Care of Magical Creatures was the only class that had taken a turn for the worse. Despite Draco repeatedly telling Hagrid that the Buckbeak incident wasn’t his fault, Hagrid had adamantly put his foot down and as a result, they were now learning how to look after flobberworms.

“Why would anyone _bother_ looking after them?” said Ron, after yet another hour of poking shredded lettuce down the flobberworms’ slimy throats.

Draco, Hermione and Sarah continued to share the Time-Turner between the three of them; meeting up between classes to hurriedly pass it back and forth, and spending all their free time in the library catching up on homework.

At the start of October, Sarah, Harry and Draco had something else to occupy them. The Quidditch season as approaching and Marcus Flint, Captain of the Slytherin team, called a meeting on Friday to discuss tactics for the new season. Harry had come back from his own meeting with the Gryffindor team the night before and had spent the entire time until curfew groaning about Oliver Wood’s obsession with winning the Quidditch Cup.

Sarah and Draco trudged back into the common room one night after a long, cold training session to find the room buzzing excitedly.

“What’s going on?” Draco asked Blaise as the pair sat in front of the fire to warm up their stiff limbs.

“First Hogsmeade weekend,” Blaise said, pointing his quill at the noticeboard on the other side of the room. “End of October, Halloween.”

Draco looked excited until he remembered that Sarah wouldn’t go going and that therefore, he wouldn’t be going.

“Draco, just go,” she sighed, laying her head in Blaise’s lap against his objections.

“Not without you,” Draco stubbornly argued. “I can always ask mother to sign your form?” he suggested, a glint of hope shining through his words.

“Don’t worry about it,” Sarah dismissed. “I’ll get her to sign it over the summer. I’ll be fine here with Harry – How do you think he’d feel if _all_ his friends went?”

“Still…”

“No. Draco, I swear to Merlin if you don’t go on that trip I will never give you any of my notes again,” Sarah threatened, lifting her head to look at the sulking blond. “And no more hair braiding.”

“You wouldn’t,” he said, appalled.

“Oh, I definitely would,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “You’re going and that’s final. Even if Blaise and Pansy have to drag you out by your balls, kicking and screaming.”

“Oi, leave Draco’s balls out of it please,” begged Blaise.

“Yes, leave my balls out of it,” Draco agreed. “Come on, you great lug,” he continued, pulling Sarah wearily to her feet. “Shower, then homework, then bed.”

***

On Halloween morning, Sarah found Harry sitting at the Slytherin table with a sour expression on his face.

“Don’t scowl, darling, it’s unbecoming of you.”

His dark head snapped up as she sat next to him. He sighed deeply and placed his head back on his arms, which were resting folded atop the table.

“Don’t be upset about Hogsmeade, Harry,” Sarah said gently, carefully piling bacon onto a roll. “We’re going to have a lot of fun just the two of us.”

“The two of us?” he asked. “I thought Draco was staying as well.”

“Not today,” Sarah explained. “I forced him to go today and bring us back a selection of sweets.”

Harry looked slightly disappointed by the news but lit up when Sarah continued.

“I was thinking we could go flying,” she suggested, hiding a smirk at the blatant interest on Harry’s face. “I’ve already asked Professor McGonagall if we can use the pitch.”

“That sounds brilliant, Sarah!” Harry exclaimed.

Feeling smug that she had managed to bring Harry out of his disappointed mood, she wrapped up another roll and pulled him to his feet.

“Come on, let’s get out things.”

***

If there’s one thing that always manages to make Sarah feel calm, it’s flying. As much as she loves the adrenaline of a Quidditch match, she also savours moments such as these, where she just glides through the sky at a leisurely pace, content to just enjoy the breeze on her face and the freedom of the open air.

Once they had landed, Sarah pulled out a basket of food the house-elves had prepared. Inside was a selection of their favourite foods, including a giant treacle tart which Harry devoured instantaneously upon seeing it.

“Did you even consider that I may have wanted some of that?” Sarah laughed as Harry licked the sticky sauce off his fingers.

He immediately looked up with a guilty expression.

“Er…sorry…?” he muttered sheepishly.

Sarah rolled her eyes and threw a chocolate frog at him.

“Lucky for you I can’t stand that atrocious dessert,” she stated. “If Draco were here, however, well…let’s just say there would likely have been a fistfight.”

Harry laughed as Sarah took a sip of hot chocolate. The weather had recently been getting gradually colder and a chill breeze was ruffling the leaves above them today.

“How are you feeling, Harry?” Sarah asked abruptly.

“What do you mean?” Harry said, digging in the basket for more food.

“How are you feeling about today? I know it must be difficult for you,” she said.

“Well, I am a bit peeved about Hogsmeade but personally, I think this was better,” he replied with a smile. It dropped when he saw the confused look on Sarah’s face. “What?”

“You – you don’t know?” she said carefully, setting her hot chocolate down on the ground.

“Don’t know what?” he questioned, starting to sound a bit worried.

“Harry…” Sarah really didn’t want to have this conversation but how on earth _didn’t_ he know. “Today is the anniversary of your parent’s deaths…”

Harry froze in shock.

“What – “ he gasped.

Sarah quickly reached for his hand, holding it securely in hers.

“What – how?” Harry continued, running his free hand through his messy curls. “I didn’t know…” he eventually finished, eyes beginning to shine with unshed tears.

“Oh, Harry, I’m so sorry,” Sarah lamented. “I had no idea you didn’t know…I wouldn’t have asked otherwise…”

“I was never told…” Harry murmured. “My aunt and uncle never bothered to tell me.”

He wiped at his face roughly as tears began to fall.

“You know,” he muttered angrily. “For once in my life, I’d like it if people actually told me things.”

He pulled his hand free from Sarah and got up, pacing around their small area.

“The Dursleys never bothered to tell me I was a wizard, Dumbledore won’t tell me anything because I’m ‘too young’, no one was going to warn me about Sirius Black – “ he cut off suddenly and gave an angry huff. “Hell – even _Draco_ is keeping something from me – I know it. I just want people to be honest with me, is that too much to ask?” He turned pain-filled eyes on Sarah and she leapt to her feet.

Harry allowed her to wrap her arms around his shoulders, his own coming to encircle her waist.

“Harry, I can’t even begin to understand what that must feel like, being kept in the dark by everyone,” Sarah started, pulling back to look him in the eyes. “But I promise to you, I will never keep anything from you, no matter what,” she vowed earnestly. “With Draco…I don’t what he could possibly be keeping to himself. But considering that he hasn’t even told _me_ , I honestly don’t think it’s something that you need to worry about.”

Sarah had tried for days to figure out what Draco might have been hiding but he kept deflecting her, claiming that it was just nonsense that his father was sprouting. She knew better than to push him too hard, so she had dropped the issue. She suspected, however, that Harry’s problem was not so much with the information itself, but the fact that he believed Draco was keeping him in the dark.

“Harry, I can promise you that Draco would never hide anything from you, not unless there was absolutely no choice,” Sarah said surely. “Even then, he’d probably complain about it constantly,” she added with a small smile, feeling giddy when Harry’s lips twitched upward slightly. “Try not to worry about us, okay? You can always rely on us.”

Harry sighed and held her tighter, burying his face in her hair.

“I’m sorry I brought up your parents,” Sarah apologised quietly, running her hand through his tangled curls.

“It’s okay,” he muttered. “Thank you for telling me – and for setting all this up. It makes me happy to know that you were trying to made today special even when you had no idea that I didn’t know.”

Sarah pulled back slightly and smiled widely at Harry before brushing a soft kiss to his cheek.

“You’re one of my best friends, Harry, and I want you to always know that,” Sarah replied with a smile.

Their moment was interrupted by footsteps. Sarah and Harry released each other and turned to see that Draco had come back early from Hogsmeade, arms laden with bags.

He had a slight frown on his face before it was quickly replaced by a subdued smile.

“Hey,” he said, eyes roaming their impromptu picnic. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Of course, not,” Harry said excitedly. “Come sit! How was Hogsmeade?”

Draco hesitated for the smallest of seconds before sitting beside Harry, laying the bags in front of him.

“It was lovely,” Draco said, his voice still sounding slightly strange. “It would have been better if you both were there, though. That’s why I came back early.”

“Sarah took me flying and then we had lunch,” Harry said with a smile. “There should be some food leftover…” He began to dig through the basket but Draco interrupted him.

“It’s fine, I had something at the Three Broomsticks – I actually brought you back something.” He reached into one of the bags and pulled out a carton of Butterbeer.

“Oooh yum!” Sarah said in delight, choosing to dismiss Draco’s odd behaviour. “Amanda gave me these at the Leaky Cauldron.” She eagerly grabbed one while Draco passed one to Harry.

“So, what did you see?” Harry asked eagerly, scooting closer to Draco until their knees were pressed against each other.

“Well, Hermione obviously wanted to see the Shrieking Shack, so we went there first,” Draco started. He then went on the explain the various shops and people they saw. “Sarah, I got you some books from the bookstore as well, they sounded interesting.” He passed her a heavy bag and she peered inside to find a large stack of leather-bound books.

“These are lovely, Draco! Thank you so much!” She leaned forward and gave him a tight hug.

“I also got you the promised sweets,” he continued, lifting another bag and tipping it over, allowing a selection of sweets to fall to tumble out.

Harry’s eyes lit up as he began tasting everything.

The three of them spent an enjoyable afternoon lounging in the sun on the grounds, occasionally throwing various sweets at one another or just enjoying each other’s company.

Too soon they had to trope back inside for dinner.

“Ugh, I don’t think I can eat anything,” Sarah groaned as she sat down at the Gryffindor table. Two loud thumps on the other side of the table told her that Draco and Harry had fallen into their seats as well.

“There you go,” said Ron. “We got as much as we could carry. Although I’m sure Draco’s already given you what he bought.”

A shower of brilliantly coloured sweets fell into Harry’s lap. The boy in question just groaned lowly and rested his head on the polished wood of the table. Draco copied him, pushing away his empty plate.

“Thanks, Ron, I really appreciate it,” Ron said sarcastically, shaking his head and taking the seat beside Sarah. “How much did you guys eat, anyway?”

“Please don’t even talk about food right now,” Sarah complained, leaning over to rest her head heavily on the redhead’s shoulder.

“Well, that’s your own fault for eating so much before dinner,” Hermione calmly stated, seating herself on Sarah’s other side.

“It was lunch!” Sarah protested. “How was I supposed to know that Draco would bring back practically all of Honeydukes?”

Draco just groaned pitifully as Hermione and Ron laughed at the catatonic teens.

“Well, your loss,” Ron said gleefully, eagerly digging into the wide selection of food in front of him.

The feast was amazing, and part of Sarah was disappointed that she was too full to truly enjoy it. Nonetheless, when dessert finally came around, she did manage to find space for a slice of _delicious_ apple pie. Across from her, she saw that Draco and Harry had also managed to scoff down a slice of treacle tart each.

“Come to Gryffindor with us?” Harry asked once the feast had ended, a hopeful expression on his face as he looked at Sarah and Draco.

“Sure,” Draco said with a smile, getting up and pulling Harry to his feet as well.

Ron did the same for Sarah and Hermione and the five of them slowly made their way up to Gryffindor Tower. However, once they reached the corridor that ended with the portrait of the Fat Lady, they found it jammed with students.

“Why isn’t anyone going in?” said Ron curiously.

Sarah stood on her tiptoes to try to see over the heads of the students, but she couldn’t. She was still slightly pissed that she hadn’t had a significant growth spurt yet, even some of the second years were catching up to her height.

Draco easily looked over the head of the gathered students and reported that the portrait seemed to be closed.

“Let me through please,” came Percy’s voice, and he came bustling importantly through the crowd. “What’s the holdup here? You can’t have all forgotten the password – excuse me, I’m Head Boy – “

And then a silence fell over the crowd, from the front first, so that a chill seemed to spread down the corridor. They heard Percy say, in a suddenly sharp voice, “Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick.”

People’s heads turned; those at the back were standing on tiptoe.

“What’s going on?” said Ginny, who had just arrived.

A moment later, Professor Dumbledore was there, sweeping toward the portrait hole; the Gryffindors and two Slytherins squeezed together to let him through, and the five of them managed to move closer to see what the trouble was.

“Oh, my – “ Hermione grabbed Harry’s arm.

The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely.

Dumbledore took one quick look at the ruined painting and tuned, his eyes comber, to see Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape hurrying toward him.

“We need to find her,” said Dumbledore. “Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr Filch and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady.”

“You’ll be lucky!” said a cackling voice.

It was Peeves the Poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry.

“What do you mean, Peeves?” said Dumbledore calmly, and Peeve’s grin faded a little. He didn’t dare taunt Dumbledore. Instead, he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle.

“Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn’t want to be seen. She’s a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful,” he said happily. “Poor thing,” he added unconvincingly.

“Did she say who did it?” said Dumbledore quietly.

“Oh yes, Professorhead,” said Peeves, with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. “He got very angry when she wouldn’t let him in, you see.” Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. “Nasty temper he’s got, that Sirius Black.”

The crowd gasped in shock and Sarah grabbed Harry’s arm tightly.

 _Sirius Black_.


	6. Chapter Six

Professor Dumbledore sent them all back to the Great Hall, where they were soon joined by extremely confused Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Slytherins.

“What the _fuck_ is going on?” Pansy hissed as soon as the teachers had left the hall.

She, Blaise, Theo and Millicent had joined their group of five as they huddled in the full room.

“Come on,” Draco said, ignoring Pansy’s question at the moment.

Their group each grabbed one of the purple sleeping bags that Dumbledore had conjured before leaving, and hurried to a far corner, away from listening ears.

Hermione quickly summarised what happened as the Slytherins listened with slack jaws.

“Sirius Black was _in the castle_?” Theo whispered in astonishment. “But – but how? Why?”

Crazy theories were spreading through the restless students – each more extravagant than the last. Sarah refrained from mentioning the Sirius Black was most likely after Harry, and by the looks on the Gryffindors’ and Draco’s faces, they agreed to remain silent.

“There are loads of secret passageways in the castle,” Blaise muttered. “Surely Black could have gotten in through one of those?”

“But what about the dementors?” Millicent countered. “They’re guarding every entrance to the grounds.”

“He’s already found one way to get past them,” said Sarah tightly. “It wouldn’t be too difficult to do it again…”

Their conversation was cut short by a loud shout.

“The lights are going out now!” Percy shouted. “I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!”

Sarah laid her sleeping bag close to Harry and saw Draco drape his on Harry’s other side.

“Are you okay?” she whispered, loud enough for only the two boys to hear.

Harry nodded and stuck his hand out of his sleeping bag. Sarah grasped it in her own and allowed Harry to pull her slightly closer to him, the warmth of his body comforting against the cold floor.

Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, Professor Dumbledore came in. Dumbledore’s footsteps drew nearer, and Sarah, Harry and Draco pretended to be asleep.

“Any sign of him, Professor?” asked Percy in a whisper.

“No. All well here?”

“Everything under control, sir.”

“Good. There’s no point moving them all now. I’ve found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You’ll be able to move them back in tomorrow.”

“And the Fat Lady, sir?”

“Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without a password, so he attacked. She’s still very distressed, but once she’s calmed down, I’ll have Mr Filch restore her.”

Sarah heard the door creak open again, and more footsteps.

“Headmaster?” It was Snape. The trio kept quite still, ensuring that their breathing was long and deep. “The whole of the third floor has been searched. He’s not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either.”

“What about the Astronomy Tower? Professor Trelawney’s room? The Owlery?”

“All searched…”

“Very well, Severus. I didn’t really expect Black to linger.”

“Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?” asked Snape.

“Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next.”

Sarah opened her eyes a fraction and squinted up to where they stood; Dumbledore’s back was to her, but she could see Percy’s face, rapt with attention, and Snape’s profile, which looked angry.

“You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before – ah – the start of term?” said Snape, who was barely opening his lips, as though trying to block Percy out of the conversation.

“I do, Severus,” said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.

“It seems – almost impossible – that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed – “

Sarah felt Harry squeeze her hand tightly. Snape must have been talking about Lupin.

“I do not believe that a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it,” said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn’t reply. “I must go down to the dementors,” continued Dumbledore. “I said I would inform them when our search was complete.”

“Didn’t they want to help, sir?” said Percy.

“Oh yes,” said Dumbledore coldly. “But I’m afraid no dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am headmaster.”

Percy looked slightly abashed. Dumbledore left the hall, walking quickly and quietly. Snape stood for a moment, watching the headmaster with an expression of deep resentment on his face; then he too left.

Sarah glanced sideways to see Harry’s green eyes wide open, with Draco’s silver ones blinking over his shoulder.

“What was all that about?” Draco mouthed.

Sarah shrugged.

***

The school could talk of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. Th Fat Lady’s ripped canvas had been taken off the wall and replaced with the portrait of Sir Cadogan and his fat grey pony, who’s painting had once hung in the corridor leading to the North Tower, according to Harry, Ron and Hermione.

“Merlin, I can understand why,” Sarah scoffed as the group of five left the Gryffindor common room for lunch on Saturday. Sir Cadogan flitted between challenging them to duel and complimenting the girls on their ‘scandalous hair designs’ when he wasn’t busy changing the ridiculous passwords. He was so annoying that Sarah was sure she’d snap one day and hex his pudgy face off. At least he still let her and Draco into the Gryffindor common room.

“Hs’s a complete lunatic,” said Seamus Finnigan angrily to Percy. “Can’t we get anyone else?”

“None of the other pictures wanted the job,” said Percy. “Frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to volunteer.”

Poor Harry also had to deal with constantly being watched now. Teachers found excuses to walk alongside him through corridors, and Percy Weasley was following him like a dog after a bone (most likely done on his mother’s orders). Sarah and Draco found it increasingly more difficult not to laugh at Harry’s rising aggravation. They both had collapsed into uncontrollable laughter when Harry returned to the library one day after a meeting with Professor McGonagall. Apparently, he had shocked the older woman by saying he already knew Sirius Black was after him when she tried to warn him.

“Oh I would have loved to see her face,” Sarah cackled, leaning heavily on Draco’s shaking body.

“I can’t believe she tried to get you to stop playing Quidditch,” wheezed Draco, wiping his eyes.

Harry had just shaken his head at them.

One thing that was quickly becoming a favoured tradition for Sarah was regular tea with Professor Lupin.

She went to his office whenever they were both free and spent a few hours talking about her mother during her Hogwarts years and after. Sometimes, she would bring Harry or Draco with her, but most of the time she went alone. There was something comforting about sitting in the older man’s presence as he talked about years gone.

On one such occasion, she and Harry were just finishing a riveting story about their first-year adventures when Professor Snape stalked through the door. His black eyes narrowed as he took in the students and tea but he said nothing. Instead, he thrust a large, steaming goblet at Lupin and scowled.

“Remember to drink all of it,” Snape said sourly, lip curly viciously. “I have more in my office, if you need it.”

“Thank you, Severus,” Lupin said. “I’ll stop by tomorrow.”

Snape nodded harshly and left, his dark robes flaring dramatically behind him.

Sarah scoffed. “He’s so dramatic sometimes.”

Lupin and Harry looked at her in shock.

“What?” she said as Lupin raised an eyebrow. “He _is_. Draco tried mimicking that move for _months_ before Hogwarts. I swear Sev uses magic to make it flare that much.”

Lupin choked while taking a large gulp of the drink, partly due to her words and partly due to the horrid taste and texture.

“Ugh,” he said, reaching forward for a glass of water. “I’ll never get used to that taste.”

“What is it?” Sarah said curiously, leaning forward to get a better look at the potion. Lupin, however, tipped the rest back before she could glimpse it, his face contorting in a grimace.

“It’s an old illness from childhood,” Lupin explained. “Sometimes it causes issues and this is the only thing that vaguely helps.”

Harry and Sarah left it at that.

***

The weather worsened steadily as the first Quidditch game of the season approached. Sarah and Draco had been training constantly with their team, despite Madam Pomfrey telling Draco to take it easy with his arm. At the final training session, however, Flint revealed that they would not be playing in the upcoming game.

“What do you mean you asked to be rescheduled?” Sarah demanded as Flint smiled maliciously down at her.

“Malfoy’s arm still isn’t fully healed,” Flint said. “We’d be at a disadvantage.”

Draco swelled in anger. “There’s nothing wrong with my bloody arm,” he snapped, glaring at Flint.

“Too late, now,” Flint said cruelly. “Your beloved Gryffindors are just gonna have to deal with it.”

Some of the team members flinched as Sarah drew her wand and took a step toward their Captain.

“Careful, Deaumont,” Flint warned. “If you want to stay on the team, I wouldn’t do that.”

Sarah and Draco were fuming the entire next day. Their friends, excluding Harry, walked on eggshells around them, worried that one wrong word would cause them to blow up. Defense Against the Dark Arts only made the pair’s bad mood worse.

Professor Lupin was ill, so Snape was taking the class. Harry had been held up by Oliver Wood and rushed into class slightly late, losing Gryffindor ten points. Then, instead of following along with the lesson plan Professor Lupin had left, Snape decided to choose his own topic.

“As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topic you have covered so far – “

Lies, the plan was obviously on Lupin’s desk.

“Please, sir, we’ve done boggarts, Red Caps, kappas, and grindylows,” said Hermione, quickly, “and we’re just about to start – “

“Be quiet,” said Snape coldly. “I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin’s lack of organisation.”

“He’s the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we’ve ever had,” said Dean Thomas boldly, and there was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the class. Snape looked more menacing than ever.

“It’s not as though the bar has been set very high. You are easily satisfied. Today we shall discuss – “ Sarah watched as he flicked through the textbook, right to the very end, before smiling cruelly and saying, “ – werewolves.”

“But, sir,” said Hermione, seemingly unable to restrain herself, “we’re not supposed to start werewolves yet, we’re due to start hinkypunks – “

“Miss Granger,” said Snape in a voice of deadly calm, “I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394.” He glanced around again. “ _All_ of you! _Now!_ ”

With many bitter sidelong looks and some sullen muttering, even amongst the Slytherins, the class opened their books.

“Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and true wolf?” said Snape.

Sarah, Draco and Hermione raised their hands; everyone else sat motionlessly.

“Anyone?” Snape said, ignoring them. His twisted smile was back. “Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn’t even taught you the basic distinction between – “

“We told you,” said Pansy suddenly, “we haven’t got as far as werewolves yet, we’re still on – “

“ _Silence_!” snarled Snape. The class sat in shock, Snape never usually snapped at his Slytherins. “Well, well, well, I never thought I’d meet a third-year class who wouldn’t even recognise a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are…”

“Well it’s not like our previous teachers actually _taught_ us anything,” Sarah scoffed. “One was possessed and the other was a fraud – what did you expect, _sir_? At least we’ve learnt something with Professor Lupin.”

Snape stared down at her, unusual hatred burning behind his eyes.

“If that’s the case, Miss Deaumont,” Snape snarled, “Then why don’t you explain the difference between – “

Sarah cut him off and said, “A true werewolf looks quite dissimilar to an actual wolf during transformations. They have more of a human-like stance whilst still having a traditional wolf snout and covering. However, if one uses the Wolfsbane potion leading up to the full moon, during the transformation they will remain in a true wolf form, albeit larger with an intact human consciousness.” She stopped and stared defiantly up at Snape, who was glaring back at her. “What that satisfactory enough, _sir_?”

Snape’s jaw tightened as he spun back to his desk. “It would do you well not to interrupt me again, Miss Deaumont,” he said quietly, a harsh edge to his words. “That, however, did not encompass the actual identifying descriptors…”

“Please, sir,” said Hermione, whose hand was still in the air, “the snout of a werewolf is smaller than – “

“That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger,” said Snape coolly. “Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all.

Many students gasped in shock.

“ _Sir…_ ” Draco breathed, wide eyes staring at his godfather.

It was a mark of how much the class hated Snape at that moment as everyone was glaring; they had all called Hermione a know-it-all at least once, even teasingly. Ron, who told her she was a know-it-all at least twice a week, said loudly, “You asked us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don’t want to be told?”

Sarah instantly knew he had gone too far. Draco groaned quietly beside her and hid his face in his hands as Snape advanced on Ron.

“Detention, Weasley,” Snape said silkily, his face hard as stone. “And if I ever hear you criticise the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed.”

They spent the rest of the lesson writing notes on werewolves and glowering at Snape as he read through their previous assignments and commented harshly on them.

When the bell rang, at last, Snape held them back.

“You will each write an essay, to be handed into me, on the ways you recognise and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, stay behind, we need to arrange your detention.”

Sarah, Draco, Hermione and Harry left the room with the rest of the class, who waited until they were well out of earshot, then burst into a furious tirade about Snape.

“He was horrible!”

“What’s got him in such a bad mood?”

“Jeez Draco, your godfather can be quite horrid sometimes.”

“He’s never been like this with any of our other Defense teachers, even if he did want the job,” Harry said to Hermione, Draco and Sarah. “Why’s he got it in for Lupin? D’you think this is all because of the boggart?”

“I don’t know,” said Sarah pensively. “But I really hope Professor Lupin gets better soon…”

***

The day of the Quidditch match, Sarah woke disgustingly early. After trying and failing to go back to sleep for a few more hours, she finally gave up and headed to the library, wanting to check out something that had been annoying her for a few days.

To her utmost surprise, Harry appeared next to her favourite table at the back of the library not too much later.

“What on earth are you doing awake?” Sarah said quietly, not wanting to inflict Madam Pinch’s wrath.

“Peeves,” Harry muttered sourly. “What are you researching?”

“Oh, nothing,” she said quickly, slamming shut the large book she had been reading and stuffing it into her bag.

Harry raised his eyebrows at her and she flushed.

“It’s just something extra,” she said sheepishly. “Nothing important.”

Harry nodded but looked like he didn’t believe her. Regardless, he let the matter drop and pulled out his Charms homework. “Help me, please?” he asked hopefully.

Sarah smiled and leant closer.

They spent the next few hours until breakfast finishing the pile of homework they had been given over the week.

“I don’t know how you, Hermione and Draco do it,” Harry announced as he put away the last of his essays. “I’m barely keeping up and I have fewer subjects than you.”

“You have Quidditch, though,” Sarah countered, continuing to write out a rune translation.

“So do you,” Harry argued. “ _And_ you even manage to meet Lupin for tea. Are you even sleeping?”

“Of course I’m sleeping,” Sarah said absently. “It’s just proper time management.”

Harry shook his head in disbelief and muttered, “ _Time management_ ”, under his breath.

At long last, Sarah finished the last of the complex runes.

“Ok, done!” she said brightly, glancing at Harry’s watch to see that it was time for breakfast. “I’m starved.”

They packed up their things and strolled down to breakfast, where they were eventually joined by Draco, Hermione and a half-asleep Ron.

“Where were you this morning?” Draco asked as he sat beside Sarah at the Gryffindor table. “I checked your room but you weren’t there.”

“I woke up at the arse-crack of dawn,” she complained. “So I went to the library to get some work done.”

“I brought you your coat and scarf,” Draco said, rummaging through his bag and pulling out Sarah’s heavy winter coat. “It looks like it’s going to rain so I cast an Impervious on it.”

“Thanks, love,” she said gratefully, pressing a quick kiss to Draco’s cheek.

“Are you sure you two aren’t dating?” Ron said tactlessly.

Draco and Sarah spluttered in shock, shouting out in unison, “NO!”

“It would be like dating my brother,” Sarah shuddered.

“But you’re both so touchy-feely. You act like a couple,” Ron continued, still shovelling porridge into his mouth.

Draco watched him in open disgust as he said, “Well, we’re not a couple, Weasley. And we don’t intend on ever being one.”

Sarah nodded in agreement, shuddering again. “I’m sorry, Draco, it’s not you – but _gross_.”

“I share the same sentiment, don’t worry,” Draco grimaced.

“You say that now,” Ron grunted. “But I think by fifth-year you’ll be sucking faces.”

“RONALD!”

Harry was blinking very quickly as Hermione berated Ron across the table. Sarah and Draco looked at Ron and then each other in disgust.

“I can’t look at you right now,” Sarah said to Draco. “Harry, switch with me.”

The dark-haired boy obliged, an odd expression on his face.

“You know that Draco and I will never date, right Harry?” Sarah asked, feeling as if she needed to clarify it even more to the other boy.

“Yes, of course, I do,” he confirmed, blushing slightly, green eyes darting to his other side for a moment before focusing on Sarah. “Was just weird to hear Ron say it so plainly.”

Sarah wasn’t going to try to correct Ron even further by giving more details. Besides, she still had to have that certain conversation with _Draco_ …

Eventually, they waved goodbye to Harry and made their way down to the pitch.

Sarah had never been more grateful for Draco’s tendency to plan ahead, as they walked right into a torrential downpour. Umbrella charms popped up over the head of older students those who couldn’t do it, screeched as they were instantly drenched in freezing water.

“Gemma!” Sarah called over the sound of the wind as the Seventh year walked past. “How do you do that charm?”

Ten minutes later, Sarah, Draco, Hermione and Ron sat in a small huddle under a large Umbrella charm. Draco cast a few Impervious charms around the edges to stop the wind whipping them and Hermione dried their clothes. It wasn’t the most comfortable but it was bearable.

“How on earth is Harry going to see the Snitch in this?” Sarah shouted.

“Oh shit!” Draco cursed. “I knew I forgot something! I was going to do an Impervious on his glasses…”

The whistle blew before they could say anything else.

The rain was so heavy that they could hardly see what was going on. Occasionally, players appeared out of the gloom, red and canary-yellow robes flashing in the premature darkness. Sarah could barely see Harry circling high above the other players, Cedric Diggory, the Hufflepuff Seeker, following him.

Unsurprisingly, a timeout was soon called. Sarah turned to see that Draco had disappeared from her and instead, the shock of distinctive platinum hair was down on the field near the Gryffindor team. When the players went back to the air, Draco sidled beside her, shivering because he hadn’t cast the Umbrella charm on himself.

“What did you do?” Sarah asked, shooting a Drying spell at Draco’s sopping coat.

“Thanks,” he said, pressing himself against her side for warmth. “I cast the charm on his glasses. Bloody idiot was flying blind.” Sarah could hear the undercurrent of concern in his voice but comment, turning back to the resumed game.

A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the pitch, startling the audience.

“This is getting dangerous!” Sarah shouted.

“Look at Diggory!” Ron screamed, pointing at the faint streak of yellow shooting into the air.

Sarah saw a blur of red streak past a second later, following the other Seeker as lightning continued to flash around them.

Something weird was happening though. An eerie silence was falling across the stadium. The wind, though strong as ever, was forgetting to roar. Sarah stiffened as a horribly familiar wave of cold swept over her, inside him, just as she became aware of something moving on the field in front of her….

At least a hundred dementors, their hidden faces pointing at the players, more specifically Harry, were hovering above the field. A few of them had broken off from the main group and were coming closer to the stands.

Sarah’s breathing became shallow as a familiar screaming began to fill her ears. She felt hands on her shoulders, holding her tight as she pitched forward.

The last thing she saw before she succumbed to the darkness enveloping her was a lone figure falling freely toward the ground, shouts echoing around her.

***

“Lucky the ground was so soft.”

“I thought he was dead for sure.”

“But he didn’t even break his glasses.”

“Shut up, you idiots, or you’ll wake them.”

Sarah could hear voices whispering. She remembered the dementors and then someone falling, and then…nothing. Someone was stroking her hair softly as she lay on something soft.

“That was the scariest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“And then Sarah collapsing. I thought Dumbledore would explode from anger.”

“Did you see Lupin shoot that silvery thing at them when they descended on her?”

“Of course we saw it, Ronald, we were right next to her.”

Sarah opened her eyes slowly, closing them quickly against the bright light above her.

“She’s awake!”

“Move. Move!”

The hand left her hair. It was replaced by two smaller hands touching her forehead and taking her pulse.

“Miss Deaumont, can you hear me?” Madam Pomfrey’s voice sounded above her.

Sarah tried nodded but ended up groaning in pain.

“Drink this.” A vial was placed against her mouth and she drank it, coughing slightly at the bitter liquid.

Immediately, her head cleared and she sat up.

“Careful, dear, you hit your head back there,” Madam Pomfrey said. “No sudden movements.”

“The dementors – what happened? Who fell?” Sarah asked quickly, looking to her left to find Draco hovering behind Madam Pomfrey, his pale face white and pinched.

“Calm down, Miss Deaumont,” commanded Madam Pomfrey, handing her another vial.

Sarah drank it quickly before being given a slab of chocolate.

“I expect you to eat all of that,” said Madam Pomfrey, ignoring Sarah’s grimace. “No exceptions or you won’t leave this bed.”

“Draco, what happened?” Sarah said as she forced the chocolate down. Even though she didn’t like eating it solid, it did make her feel warmer.

“The dementors got too close and you passed out, Lupin helped you again before carrying you to the hospital wing,” Draco explained, stealing a piece of chocolate.

Sarah ate all she could stomach and thrust the rest into Draco’s hands.

“Eat that quickly before the harpy returns,” she muttered, looking around the ward.

To her surprise, the bed opposite hers was surrounded by the Gryffindor team, who were completely covered in mud. She could see Hermione’s bushy hair peeking up from inside the group.

“Draco, who fell?” Sarah asked slowly, dread crawling through her veins.

Draco swallowed the last mouthful of chocolate before cringing.

“Harry,” he said.

Sarah immediately shot out of the bed and across to the other side of the room.

Fred and George jumped in surprise as she pushed between them and stopped at the end of Harry’s bed. He was lying completely still, his face as pale as Draco’s. a large bandage surrounded his head and his left arm was wrapped tightly in a sling.

“Oh, _Merlin_ ,” Sarah breathed.

Hermione and Ron looked up in shock before Hermione leapt into her arms.

“Oh thank goodness you’re okay!” the other girl cried. “We were so worried, you wouldn’t wake up!”

“How’s Harry?” Sarah asked, hugging Hermione quickly before settling herself on the edge of Harry’s bed.

“He should be okay,” Ron said. “Dumbledore caught him with a charm before he hit the ground.”

Suddenly, Harry’s eyelids flickered open to reveal dazed green orbs.

“Harry!” said Fred, who looked extremely white underneath the mud covering him. “How’re you feeling?”

“What happened?” Harry said, sitting up so suddenly that everyone gasped.

“No! Lie back down!” Sarah snapped, pushing his thins shoulders until his back was propped up by the pillows.

“You fell off,” said Fred. “Must’ve been – what – fifty feet?”

“We thought you’d died,” said Alicia Spinnet, one of the Chasers.

Hermione made a small, squeaky noise. Her eyes were extremely bloodshot.

“But the match,” said Harry. “What happened? Are we doing a replay?”

“Honestly, Harry, is that all you care about?” Sarah said grumpily, crossing her arms. Draco scoffed beside her and ran a hand over her shoulders.

“We didn’t – _lose_?” Harry said, horrified.

“It’s not that bad, _Merlin_ …” Draco muttered.

“Diggory got the Snitch,” said George. “Just after you fell. He didn’t realise what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square…even Wood admits it.”

“Where is Wood?” said Harry.

“Still in the showers,” said Fred. “We think he’s trying to drown himself.”

Sarah restrained her laugh at the distraught look on Harry’s face.

Fred grabbed his shoulder and shook it roughly.

“C’mon, Harry, you’ve never missed the Snitch before.”

“There had to be one time you didn’t get it,” said George.

“Yeah, look at Malfoy – he’s never caught it against you but he’s still a great Seeker,” Fred added.

It was obvious that Draco’s worry about Harry overpowered his annoyance at Fred’s words. He grudgingly nodded along with a sour expression on his face that caused Harry’s lips to twitch upwards slightly.

“It’s not over yet,” said Fred. “We lost by a hundred points, right? So if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin…”

“Which you won’t,” Sarah interjected.

“Hufflepuff will have to lose by at least two hundred points,” said George, ignoring Sarah except for a playful ruffle of her hair.

“But if they beat Ravenclaw…” Fred continued.

“No way, Ravenclaw is too good. But if Slytherin loses against Hufflepuff…”

“Absolutely not,” Draco said adamantly.

“It all depends on the points – a margin of a hundred either way – “

The twins obviously weren’t having the effect on Harry that they had hoped for. He lay there, dejectedly staring at his hands until Sarah grabbed one, squeezing tightly.

“Hey,” she said softly, “it’s not your fault. It was the dementors. You were right behind Diggory until they got to you.”

“That’s the problem! They got to me!” Harry exclaimed quietly.

“They got to me, too,” Sarah said, raising an eyebrow. “It doesn’t make you any less of a good Quidditch player.”

Harry sighed in resignation.

After ten minutes or so, Madam Pomfrey came over to tell the team to leave him in peace.

“We’ll come and see you later,” Fred told him. “Don’t beat yourself up, Harry, you’re still the best Seeker we’ve ever had.”

“What are you doing out of bed?” Madam Pomfrey shrieked at Sarah when the team moved to reveal her on Harry’s bed. She quickly moved to sit beside him, pulling the covers over her lap.

“I’m in bed, see?” she said, smiling innocently up at the nurse.

Madam Pomfrey just clucked her tongue but walked away, leaving the five children alone.

“Dumbledore was really angry,” Hermione said in a quaking voice. “I’ve never seen him like that before. He ran onto the field as you fell, waved his wand, and you sort of slowed down before you hit the ground. Then he whirled his wand at the dementors. Shot the same silvery stuff Lupin did at them. They left the stadium right away…He was furious they’d come onto the grounds. We heard him – “

“Then he magicked you onto a stretched,” said Ron. “And walked up to the school with you floating on it. Lupin soon joined him with Sarah on her own stretcher. Everyone thought you were…”

His voice faded.

“Did someone get my Nimbus?” Harry asked.

Ron and Hermione looked quickly at each other.

“Er – “

“What?” said Harry, looking from one to the other. He turned toward Draco and Sarah, who both shrugged in confusion.

“Well…when you fell off, it got blown away,” said Hermione hesitantly.

“And?”

“And it hit – it hit – oh, Harry – it hit the Whomping Willow.”

Sarah’s stomach lurched. The Whomping Willow was a very sentient tree that stood alone in the middle of the grounds.

“And?” Harry said, obviously dreading the answer.

“Well, you know the Whomping Willow,” said Ron. “It – it doesn’t like being hit.”

“Professor Flitwick brought it back just before you came around,” said Hermione in a very small voice.

Sarah’s stomach dropped horribly as Hermione reached down for a bag at her feet, turned it upside down, and tipped a dozen bits of splintered wood and twig onto the bed, the only remains of Harry’s faithful, finally beaten broomstick.

***

Ron and Hermione had left soon after. Harry had requested to be alone – his spirit nearly as broken as his broom.

Sarah and Draco ignored him, remaining at his bedside despite his protests.

“I’m not here for you,” Draco commented casually, picking at his nails. “I’m keeping Sarah company and she just so happens to be in your bed.”

Harry scowled half-heartedly at the blond, who dutifully ignored him, reaching instead into his pocket for a chocolate frog.

“I swear,” Sarah complained fondly, “you always have chocolate on you. How is that even _possible_?”

“Magic,” Draco smirked, handing Harry the chocolate frog.

Harry bit down on the chocolate sullenly and stared at where the remains of his broom had been before Hermione swept them back into her bag.

“I never thought I’d lose my broom,” he said quietly.

“It’s not pleasant,” Draco commiserated. “But the good news is that you can always buy another one.”

“This one was special.”

“We know, Harry,” Sarah said, leaning against the other boy’s side. “But at the end of the day, it was just a broom. Admittedly, one you loved, but still – just a broom.”

Harry didn’t like that but he nodded anyway.

“When we go shopping for a new one we can get you more clothes,” Draco suggested eagerly. “Merlin knows you need a new wardrobe.”

Harry snorted.

“The Dursleys would probably try to take anything I got myself,” he muttered bitterly.

Draco scowled. “Then point your wand at them and sneer. Works every time.”

Harry choked out a laugh, taking another bite of chocolate.

“I think we should ask Professor Lupin to teach us how to summon that silver stuff,” Sarah said suddenly. The two boys stared at her in confusion. “You know, the stuff that repels the dementors?”

Recognition lit in grey and green eyes.

“Do you really think he’d teach us?” Harry asked eagerly.

“Of course,” Draco said surely. “He has a soft spot for Sarah. Regardless, he would want you both to be able to protect yourselves.”

“Why do you think we react more extremely than others?” asked Sarah, frowning slightly.

“I think it’s because you both have experienced things that others haven’t, “ Draco answered carefully. “It draws the dementors to you more.”

“Well, that’s just brilliant,” Harry grumbled sarcastically. “Don’t we just love always being the odd one out?”

“Hey, you’re not alone this time,” Sarah said, poking Harry in the cheek. “Besides, I’d say that Draco and I are the odd ones out, considering how we’re usually outnumbered by _Gryffindors_.”

Harry smiled and swatted away her finger.

“That’s your choice though,” he argued, raising an eyebrow.

“One that I question every day,” Draco drawled with a fond smirk.

The three of them staying laughing on Harry’s bed until Madam Pomfrey came over carrying a tray full of food.


	7. Chapter Seven

Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping Harry in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend. He did so, but extremely begrudgingly. Sarah, Draco, Ron and Hermione kept him company whenever they could, with at least one of them always staying until Madam Pomfrey kicked them out.

When Monday’s Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson came around, Professor Lupin was back. It certainly looked as though he had been ill. His old robes were hanging more loosely on him and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes; nonetheless, he smiled at the class as they took their seats, and they burst at once into an explosion of complaints about Snape’s behaviour while Lupin had been ill.

“It’s not fair, he was only filling in, why should he give us homework?”

“We don’t know anything about werewolves – “

“ – two rolls of parchment!”

“Did you tell Professor Snape we haven’t covered them yet?” Lupin asked, frowning slightly.

“Repeatedly,” drawled Sarah.

The babble broke out again.

“Yes, but he said we were really behind – “

“ – he wouldn’t listen – “

“ – _two rolls of parchment!_ ”

“Ron, we get it! Two rolls is apparently a lot!” Sarah snapped, effectively silencing the class.

Professor Lupin smiled at the look of indignation on every face.

“Don’t worry. I’ll speak to Professor Snape. You don’t have to do the essay.”

“Oh _no_ ,” said Hermione, looking very disappointed. “I’ve already finished it!”

They had a very enjoyable lesson. Professor Lupin had brought along a glass box containing a hinkypunk, a little one-legged creature who looked as though he were made of wisps of smoke, rather frail and harmless-looking.

“Lures travellers into bogs,” said Professor Lupin as they took notes. “You notice the lantern dangling from his hand? Hops ahead – people follow the light – then – “

The hinkypunk made a horrible squelching noise against the glass, causing Draco to cringe away.

When the bell rang, everyone gathered up their things and headed for the door – but Sarah grabbed Harry’s arm and pulled him to a stop.

She waved Draco on when the blond paused and waited until everyone had left the room before heading to Professor Lupin’s desk.

The Professor looked up from covering the hinkypunks box with a smile as the students approached.

“What can I do for you two?” he asked kindly, amber eyes twinkling brightly.

“We wanted to ask if you could teach us how to repel dementors,” Sarah said evenly. “We saw you do it on the train and again during the match.”

Professor Lupin’s smile faded as she observed the two.

“It’s a very complex charm,” he warned. “I was exhausted at the match and was barely able to cast it.”

“But you still did,” pressed Sarah. “Please, Professor, I can’t keep listening to myself scream as I find my mother dead over and _over_ again!”

Professor Lupin looked stricken. “You found Evelyn?” he said eventually, his voice thick.

Sarah wrapped her arms around herself and nodded. “I don’t want to keep reliving those feelings.”

“When they get near me – “ Harry started, voice gravelly. He cleared his throat and continued. “I can hear Voldemort murdering my mum,” he admitted.

Lupin made a sudden motion with his arms as though to grip them both on the shoulders, but thought better of it. There was a moment’s silence, then –

“Why did they have to come to the match?” said Harry bitterly.

“They’re getting hungry,” said Lupin coolly, shutting his briefcase with a snap. “Dumbledore won’t let them into the school, so their supply of human prey has dried up…I don’t think they could resist the large crowd around the Quidditch field. All that excitement…emotions running high…it was their idea of a feast.”

“Azkaban must be terrible,” Sarah muttered. Lupin nodded grimly.

“The fortress is set on a tiny island, way out to sea, but they don’t need walls and water to keep the prisoners in, not when they’re all trapped inside their own head, incapable of a single cheerful thought. Most of them go mad within weeks.”

“But Sirius Black escaped from them,” Harry said slowly. “He got away…”

A flash of pain went across Lupin’s face as his briefcase slipped from the desk; he had to stoop quickly to catch it.

“Yes,” he said, straightening up, “Black must have found a way to fight them. I wouldn’t have believed it possible…Dementors are supposed to drain a wizard of his powers if he is left with them too long…”

“So will you teach us?” Sarah asked, green eyes looking hopefully into amber ones.

Lupin looked between her and Harry’s determined faces, hesitated, then said, “Well…all right. I’ll try and help. But it’ll have to wait until next term, I’m afraid. I have a lot to do before the holidays. I chose a very inconvenient time to fall ill.”

Harry and Sarah beamed at him.

“Off to dinner you go,” Professor Lupin said.

Harry turned and began to walk away before realising that Sarah wasn’t following.

“I’ll be right with you, Harry. Wait outside?” she said.

He nodded and vanished through the door.

Sarah turned back to Professor Lupin, who had an inquisitive look upon his face. She reached into her bag and withdrew the essay on werewolves they had been set.

“I wanted to give this straight to you,” she said, handing over the scroll.

“You know you didn’t have to do the assignment,” Lupin said, voice slightly tighter than usual.

“I know,” she agreed. “But I think this one was important. I think you should read it.” She peered up at his tired face, premature lines mixing with scars. “Sometimes, it isn’t always as it seems.”

Sarah gave her professor one last smile before turning around and leaving. She joined Harry in the hallway and they made their way down to dinner in a significantly lighter mood than before.

***

Two weeks before the end of the term, the sky lightened suddenly to a dazzling, opaline white and the muddy grounds were revealed one morning covered in glittering frost. Inside the castle, there was a buzz of Christmas in the air. Professor Flitwick had already decorated his classroom with shimmering lights that turned out to be real, fluttering fairies. The students were all happily discussing their plans for the holidays. Sarah and Draco had decided to stay home for the holidays, as Narcissa had hinted in her most recent letter than an unexpected guest had taken up residence in Malfoy Manor. Sarah knew that her father was camping out there in case she returned for the holidays. Ron and Hermione were also staying at Hogwarts, though they were doing it to keep Harry company. Luckily for Sarah and Draco, the other people in their dorms had decided to go home, which meant that they could bring the Gryffindors in to hang out without anyone caring about it.

To everyone’s delight except Harry’s, there was to be another Hogsmeade trip on the very last weekend of the term. Sarah didn’t really care about the trip and Draco had already declared that he was staying at the castle.

On the day of the trip, Sarah, Harry and Draco waved goodbye to Ron and Hermione and headed back toward Gryffindor Tower. Snow had started to fall outside the windows, and the castle was very still and quiet.

“Psst – Harry! Snakes!”

They turned, halfway along the third-floor corridor, to see Fred and George peering out at them from behind a statue of a humpbacked, one-eyed witch.

“What are you doing?” said Harry curiously. “How come you’re not going to Hogsmeade?”

“We’ve come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go,” said Fred, with a mysterious wink. “We would’ve done it earlier but we knew you’d tell your Snakes, so we thought, why not now?”

“Come in here…” George said.

He nodded toward an empty classroom to the left of the one-eyed statue. The trio followed the twins inside. George closed the door quietly and then turned, beaming to look at them.

“Early Christmas present for you, Harry,” he said.

“And of course, your loyal partners-in-crime,” Fred added with a wink at Sarah and Draco.

Fred pulled something from the inside of his cloak with a flourish and laid it on one of the desks. It was a large, square, very worn piece of parchment with nothing written on it. Sarah raised an eyebrow at it, unimpressed.

“What’s that supposed to be?” she asked.

“That, dear Sarah, is the secret of our success,” said George, patting the parchment fondly.

Sarah, Harry and Draco shared a perplexed look.

“It’s a wrench, giving it to you,” said Fred, “but we decided last night, you need’s greater than ours.”

“Anyway, we know it by heart,” said George. “We bequeath it to you. We don’t really need it anymore.”

“It’s a piece of old parchment,” Draco said flatly.

“A piece of old parchment!” said Fred, closing his eyes with a grimace as though Draco had mortally wounded him. “Explain, George.”

“Well…when we were in our first year – young, carefree and innocent – “

Sarah and the boys snorted. She doubted Fred and George had ever been innocent.

“ – well, more innocent than we are now – “

“So, not very?” Sarah quipped.

“Hush, dear,” Fred said. “Anyway, we got into a spot of bother with Filch.”

“We let off a Dungbomb in the corridor and it upset him for some reason – “

“So he hauled us to his office and started threatening us with the usual – “

“ – detention – “

“ – disembowelment – “

“ – and we couldn’t help noting a drawer in one of his filing cabinets marked _Confiscated and Highly Dangerous_.”

“Don’t tell me – “ Harry started with a grin.

“Well, what would you’ve done?” said Fred. “George caused a diversion by dropping another Dungbomb, I whipped the drawer open and grabbed – _this_.”

“It’s not as bad as it sounds, you know,” said George. “We don’t reckon Filch ever found out how to work it. He probably suspected what it was, though, or he wouldn’t have confiscated it.”

“I don’t care,” Sarah said quickly. “Show us how it works.”

“A girl after my own heart,” Fred fake swooned.

He took out his wand, touched the parchment lightly, and said, “ _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good._ ”

And at once, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider’s web from the point that Fred’s wand had touched. They joined each other, they crisscrossed, they fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly green words, that proclaimed:

_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present: THE MARAUDER’S MAP_

It was a map showing every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. But the truly remarkable thing was the tiny ink dots moving around it, each labelled with a name in minuscule writing. Astounded, Sarah, Harry and Draco bent over it. A labelled dot in the top left corner showed the Professor Dumbledore was pacing in his study; the caretaker’s cat, Mrs Norris, was prowling the second floor; and Peeves the Poltergeist was currently bouncing around the trophy room. And as Sarah’s eyes travelled up and down the familiar corridors, she noticed something else.

This map showed a set of passages he had never entered. And many of them seemed to lead –

“Right into Hogsmeade,” said Fred, tracing one of them with his finger. “There are seven in all. Now, Filch knows about these four” – he pointed them out – “but we’re sure we’re the only ones who know about _these_. Don’t bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter, but it’s caved in – completely blocked. And we don’t reckon anyone’s ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow’s planted right over the entrance. But this one here, this one leads right into the cellar of Honeydukes. We’ve used it loads of times. And as you might’ve noticed, the entrance is right outside this room, through the one-eyed crone’s hump.”

“This is brilliant,” Sarah breathed in awe, tracing the intricate lines.

“Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs,” sighed George, patting the heading of the map. “We owe them so much.”

“Noble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of lawbreakers,” said Fred solemnly.

“Right,” said George briskly. “Don’t forget to wipe it after you’ve used it – “

“ – or anyone can read it,” Fred said warningly.

“Just tap it again and say, ‘Mischief Managed!’ And it’ll go blank.”

“So, young ones,” said Fred, in an uncanny impersonation of Percy, “mind you behave yourselves.”

“See you in Honeydukes,” said George, winking.

They left the room, both smirking in a satisfied sort of way.

“I swear those two are my favourite people ever,” Sarah sighed, still looking at where the twins disappeared.

“Focus!” Harry said, slapping her arm gently. “What are we going to do?”

“Well…” Draco started cautiously. “We could always take their advice.”

“And what? Go to Hogsmeade?” Harry said incredulously. “We’d be caught in a heartbeat.”

“Not if they couldn’t see us,” Sarah smirked.

Harry’s eyes widened slightly before he smirked as well.

“You two use Harry’s Invisibility Cloak and I can meet you in Honeydukes,” Draco said.

Harry’s green eyes shone brightly.

“You’d really do this for me?” he said, smiling widely.

“Of course, Harry,” Draco replied, an equally wide smile on his face.

“Then I better go get my cloak.”

***

Draco had said goodbye to the two of them once Harry had returned with his Invisibility Cloak.

“How do we open the passage?” Sarah whispered as she and Harry stood huddled under the cloak in front of the one-eyed witch statue.

Harry peered at the map closely before muttering, “ _Dissendium!_ ”, and tapping the stone with his wand.

At once, the statue’s hump opened wide enough to admit a fairly thin person. They quickly glanced up and down the corridor, then Harry tucked the map away again, ducked out from under the cloak, hoisted himself into the hole headfirst, and pushed himself forward.

Sarah followed quickly after, tucking the cloak close to her body. After sliding down a stone slope, she landed on cold, damp earth. Harry helped her up and she pulled the cloak off – they wouldn’t need it until Honeydukes. Sarah lit her wand with a Lumos while Harry cleared the map. Hearts beating fast, both excited and apprehensive, they set off.

The passage twisted and turned, more like the burrow of a giant rabbit than anything else. They hurried along it, stumbling now and then on the uneven floor, holding their wands out in front of them.

It took ages, but eventually, the passage began to rise. Ten minutes later, they came to the foot of some worn stone steps, which rose out of sight above them. Careful not to make any noise, they began to ascend, with Harry leading. They lost count, trekking upwards…Then, without warning, Harry’s head hit something hard.

He cursed as he raised his wand. It looked to be a trapdoor. They stood there, listening as Harry massaged the top of his head. They couldn’t hear any sounds above him. Very slowly, Harry pushed the trapdoor open and peered over the edge.

Harry crawled out and helped Sarah up, who threw the cloak over them as soon as she had gotten to her feet. Harry replaced the trapdoor, which blended so perfectly with the dusty floor that it was impossible to tell it was there. They crept slowly toward the wooden staircase that led upstairs. Now they could definitely hear voices, not to mention the tinkle of a bell and the opening and shutting of a door.

“How do we – “

Sarah’s question was cut off when a door suddenly opened at the top of the staircase and footsteps began to descend. Harry and Sarah held their breaths as a balding man passed them. Harry tugged on Sarah’s hand and dragged her up the stairs, slipping through the closing door and emerging behind the counter of Honeydukes.

Honeydukes was so crowded with Hogwarts students that there was barely any room to move.

“We’ll never fit through here together,” Sarah whispered. “I’ll change my appearance and you can follow me in the cloak, okay?” Harry nodded so Sarah concentrated quickly on darkening and shortening her hair, also changing her facial features slightly.

It was so packed inside the store that no one looked twice as she emerged from under the cloak. She could feel Harry following closely at her back.

Sarah scanned the heads of the students, looking for Draco’s distinctive platinum locks. She felt Harry press her right arm gently and she turned in that direction, finding Draco leaning casually against the wall closest to the door, where there was the least amount of students.

She quickly made her way toward him, sidling up next to him and wrapping an arm around his waist.

“Hello, darling,” she breathed into his ear as she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Draco jumped slightly as whipped his head to look at her, eyebrows rising up to his hairline as he took in her new look.

“Where’s Harry?” he muttered, plastering a beaming smile on his face.

“Behind me, under the cloak,” she replied, running a hand up his shoulders and through his silky hair.

“What are you doing?” he questioned.

“If I act like this, people won’t think it’s me,” Sarah explained, bringing her other arm up to rest against his neck. “They’ll think you’ve been hiding a secret girlfriend or something.”

She heard Harry scoff behind her.

“That’s a horrible image, thank you, darling,” Draco grimaced. “Do you want to buy anything or should we leave?”

Harry tapped Sarah on the arm.

“Harry wants to buy stuff,” she translated. “Grab me a basket, dearest?” she fluttered her lashes at Draco and pouted her lips slightly.

Draco coughed lightly to cover his scoff.

“Laying it on a little thick, don’t you think, _sweetest_?” he murmured in her ear.

Sarah shrugged and smirked mischievously. “It’s fun to tease you.”

Draco rolled his eyes and went to grab a basket.

“Direct me where you want to go,” Sarah murmured to Harry and she felt his hand on her arm in answer. “And loosen your grip, I’m not actually flirting with Draco.”

Draco returned with a large basket and the trio made their way around the display of treats, with Sarah following Harry’s silent directions. She picked up a few packets of Sugar Quills for herself and Draco and also a large selection of strawberry and apple liquorice. Once they had finished, the turned to leave but Draco suddenly steered them to the opposite wall.

Ron and Hermione were standing underneath a sign that read, UNUSUAL TREATS, examining a tray of blood-flavoured lollipops.

“Ugh, no, Harry won’t want one of those, they’re for vampires, I expect,” Hermione was saying.

“How about these?” said Ron, shoving a jar of Cockroach Clusters under Hermione’s nose.

“Definitely not,” said Sarah.

Ron nearly dropped the jar.

“ _Sarah_?” he gasped in astonishment.

“ _Ronald,”_ she said in the same tone.

“What are you doing here?” Hermione hissed. “You aren’t meant to be here.”

“Oh, I know, but how about we leave before you start shouting at us?” Sarah suggested, grabbing the girl’s arm and pulling her out of the shop.

Draco waited an extra second after Ron walked through to allow Harry out of the door.

“Over here,” Hermione said, now dragging Sarah down an alley between two shops. “Explain.”

Harry chose that moment to throw the hood of the cloak off, causing Hermione and Ron to let out startled shouts.

“ _Harry?”_

“Hey guys,” Harry said, leaning against the wall on one side of the alley and smiling smugly at Ron and Hermione’s shocked expressions.

“What on earth are you doing? How – how did you - ?” Hermione spluttered.

“Not important,” Harry waved a hand. “Let’s explore.”

“Wait, Harry,” Draco said suddenly. “You shouldn’t have to be trapped under that cloak. Here – let me – “

He drew his wand and closed his eyes, stepping close to Harry to tap his wand lightly on the dark mess of curls. Immediately, it turned a light brown colour. Hermione gasped.

“How did you do that?” she pressed.

“Simple Transfiguration,” Draco replied.

“No,” Hermione argued. “We don’t learn that until sixth year.”

“I read ahead a bit,” said Draco. “I’ve always like Transfiguration.”

Harry cut Hermione off before she could ask more questions.

“This is brilliant, Draco!” he gushed, causing the blonde’s pale face to flush pink.

“All right, let’s go,” Sarah declared, intertwining her arm with Draco’s.

They wandered around for a while, exploring the various shops spread around the cobblestone street. Ron and Hermione made sure to walk slightly apart from Sarah, Harry and Draco, in order to lower suspicion of their usual group.

Eventually, Ron suggested they get a butterbeer from the Three Broomsticks. They found a table in the far corner and Harry and Sarah sat right against the wall, with the others blocking them partially from sight.

They were happily sipping at their hot drinks when a sudden breeze ruffled their hair. Sarah looked over the rim of his tankard and choked.

Professors McGonagall and Flitwick had just entered the pub with a flurry of snowflakes, shortly followed by Hagrid, who was deep in conversation with a portly man in a lime-green bowler hat and a pinstriped cloak – Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic.

In an instant, Ron and Hermione had both placed hands on the top of Harry’s head and forced him off his chair and out of sight. Sarah slid down beside him and stared at him in horror. The adult’s feet moved toward the bar, paused, and then turned and walked right toward them.

Somewhere above them, Hermione whispered, “ _Mobiliarbus!_ ”

The Christmas tree beside their table rose a few inches off the ground, drifted sideways, and landed with a soft thump right in front of their table, hiding them from view. Staring through the dense lower branches, Sarah saw four sets of chair legs move back from the table right beside theirs, then heard the grunts and sighs of the teachers and minister as they sat down.

“This is bad. Very, _very_ bad,” Sarah muttered to Harry, who nodded his head vigorously.

Next, she saw another pair of feet, wearing sparkly turquoise high heels, and heard a woman’s voice.

“A small gillywater – “

“Mine,” said Professor McGonagall’s voice.

“Four pints of mulled mead – “

“Ta, Rosmerta,” said Hagrid.

“A cherry syrup and soda with ice and umbrella – “

“Mmm!” said Professor Flitwick, smacking his lips.

“So you’ll be the red currant rum, Minister.”

“Thank you, Rosmerta, m’dear,” said Fudge’s voice. “Lovely to see you again, I must say. Have one yourself, won’t you? Come and join us…”

“Well, thank you very much, Minister.”

Sarah watched the glittering heels march away and back again. Her heart pounded uncomfortably in her throat and she looked over to see Harry looking vaguely ill. How would they be able to get out and sneak under the clock without arousing suspicion?

“So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Minister?” came Madam Rosmerta’s voice.

Sarah saw the lower part of Fudge’s thick body twist in his chair as though he were checking for eavesdroppers. Then he said in a quiet voice, “What else, m’dear, but Sirius Black? I daresay you heard what happened up at the school at Halloween?”

“I did hear a rumour,” admitted Madam Rosmerta.

“Did you tell the whole pub, Hagrid?” said Professor McGonagall exasperatedly.

“Do you think Black’s still in the area, Minister?” whispered Madam Rosmerta.

“I’m sure of it,” said Fudge shortly.

“You know that the dementors have searched my pub twice?” said Madam Rosmerta, a slight edge to her voice. “Scared all my customers away…It’s very bad for business, Minister.”

“Rosmerta, m’dear, I don’t like them any more than you do,” said Fudge uncomfortably. “Necessary precaution…unfortunate, but there you are…I’ve just met some of them. They’re in a fury against Dumbledore – he won’t let them inside the castle grounds.”

“I should think not,” said Professor McGonagall sharply. “How are we supposed to teach with those horrors floating around?”

“Hear, hear!” squeaked tiny Professor Flitwick, whose feet were dangling a foot from the ground.

“All the same,” demurred Fudge, “they are here to protect you all from something much worse…We all know what Black’s capable of…”

“Do you know, I still have trouble believing it,” said Madam Rosmerta thoughtfully. “Of all the people to go over to the Dark Side, Sirius Black was the last I’d have thought…I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you’d told me what he was going to become, I’d have said you’d had too much mead.”

“You don’t know the half of it, Rosmerta,” said Fudge gruffly. “The worse he did isn’t wildly known.”

“The worst?” said Madam Rosmerta, her voice alive with curiosity. “Worse than murdering all those poor people, you mean?”

“I certainly do,” said Fudge.

“I can’t believe that. What could possibly be worse?”

“You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta,” murmured Professor McGonagall. “Do you remember who his best friend was?”

“Naturally,” said Madam Rosmerta, with a small laugh. “Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here – ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!”

Harry dropped his tankard but Sarah shot out a hand before it could hit the ground loudly. She placed it next to her as Harry stared at her with wide eyes. She knew her eyes were just as wide.

“Precisely,” said Professor McGonagall. “Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang.”

“Don’t forget their mastermind though,” Rosmerta chuckled. “I swear, they wouldn’t have gotten away with half of what they did without Evelyn Jacobi by their side – I was so sad to hear of her death.”

Sarah choked on air and Draco kicked her gently under the table.

“You’re right,” said Professor McGonagall. “Their group of friends was unstoppable.” She sounded slightly nostalgic and sad. “All very bright, of course – exceptionally bright, in fact – but I don’t think we’ve ever had such a pair of troublemakers – “

“I dunno,” chuckled Hagrid. “Fred and George Weasley could give ‘em a run fer their money.”

“You’d have thought Black, Potter and Jacobi were siblings!” chimed in Professor Flitwick. “Inseparable!”

“Well, Evelyn and James _were_ cousins,” mentioned Professor McGonagall. “It’s very nice to see Sarah and Harry sharing that same friendship.”

Tears had begun to prick at Sarah’s eyes at the way the teachers were talking of her mother and her friends. Harry reached over and grasped her hand tightly, green eyes clouded by pain and grief.

“Of course they were,” said Fudge. “Potter, in particular, trusted Black beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily. Then they named him godfather to Harry. Harry has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment him.”

Harry’s face went several shades paler than usual.

“Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?” whispered Madam Rosmerta.

“Worse even than that, m’dear…” Fudge dropped his voice and proceeded in a sort of low rumble. “Not many people are aware that the Potters knew You-Know-Who was after them. Dumbledore, who was, of course, working tirelessly against You-Know-Who, had a number of useful spies. One of them tipped him off, and he alerted James and Lily at once. He advised them to go into hiding. Well, of course, You-Know-Who wasn’t an easy person to hide from. Dumbledore told them that their best chance was the Fidelius Charm.”

“How does that work?” said Madam Rosmerta, breathless with interest. Professor Flitwick cleared his throat.

“An immensely complex spell,” he said squeakily, “involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find – unless, of course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it. As long as the Secret-Keeper refused to speak, You-Know-Who could search the village where Lily and James were staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his nose pressed against their sitting-room window!”

“So Black was the Potters’ Secret-Keeper?” whispered Madam Rosmerta.

“Naturally,” said Professor McGonagall. “James Potter told Dumbledore that Black would die rather than tell where they were, than Black was planning on going into hiding himself…and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. I remember him offering to be the Potters’ Secret-Keeper himself.”

“But what about Jacobi? Why wasn’t she the Secret-Keeper?” Madam Rosmerta asked.

“She had only recently completed an arranged marriage with Antonius Deaumont, and he had ties to known or suspected Death Eaters, especially Lucius Malfoy – she didn’t want to risk her friends, so she cut herself out of their lives to keep them safe,” Professor McGonagall explained.

“So James Potter insisted on using Black?” Rosmerta inquired.

“He did,” said Fudge heavily. “And then, barely a week after the Fidelius Charm had been performed – “

“Black betrayed them?” breathed Madam Rosmerta.

“He did indeed. Black told You-Know-Who the Potters’ location and then…”

Fudge cut off suddenly and cleared his throat. The group was silent for a while.

“But the Ministry managed to catch up with Black the next day, didn’t they?” said Madam Rosmerta.

“Alas, if only we had,” said Fudge bitterly. “It was not we who found him. It was Peter Pettigrew – another of their friends. He went after Black himself. Cornered him in a street and tried to go for his wand but Black was quicker. I’ll never forget it – A crater in the middle of the street. Bodies everywhere. Muggles screaming. And Black standing there, laughing, with what was left of Pettigrew – a few fragments – a finger…”

Fudge’s voice stopped abruptly again. There was the sound of five noses being blown.

“Well, there you have it, Rosmerta,” said Fudge thickly. “Black was taken away and has been in Azkaban ever since.”

Madam Rosmerta let out a long sigh.

“Is it true he’s mad, Minister?”

“I wish I could say that he was,” said Fudge slowly. “Yet I met Black on my last inspection of Azkaban. I was shocked at how _normal_ Black seemed. He spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving. Asked if I had finished with my newspaper – said he missed doing the crosswords.”

“But what do you think he’s broken out to do?” said Madam Rosmerta. “Good gracious, Minister, he isn’t trying to rejoin You-Know-Who, is he?”

“I daresay that is his – er- eventual plan,” said Fudge evasively. “But we hope to catch Black long before that.”

There was a small chink of glass on wood. Someone had set down their glass.

“You know, Cornelius, if you’re dining with the headmaster, we’d better head back up to the castle,” said Professor McGonagall.

One by one, the pairs of feet in front of Sarah took the weight of their owners once more; hems of cloaks swung into sight, and Madam Rosmerta’s glittering heels disappeared behind the bar. The door of the Three Broomsticks opened again, there was another flurry of snow, and the teachers disappeared.

“Harry? Sarah?”

Ron’s, Hermione’s and Draco’s faces appeared under the table. They were all staring at the silent pair, lost for words.


	8. Chapter Eight

Sarah didn’t have a very clear idea of how she and Harry had managed to get back into the Honeydukes cellar, through the tunnel, and into the castle once more. All she knew was that the return trip seemed to take no time at all, and she hardly noticed what she was doing, because her head was still pounding with the conversation she had just heard. Harry was in a similar dazed state and the two of them shared no words the entire trip back.

She had never known…Never known that her mother was friends with Sirius Black. Surely, Narcissa or her mother would have mentioned it at some point – they told her about her mother’s friendship with James Potter! A sudden thought made her stop walking. Lupin was friends with her mother. Did that mean he was friends with the Potters – with Sirius Black?

“Sarah?”

Harry’s voice startled her.

“Sarah, are you okay?” his voice was flat, emotionless.

“I’m fine,” she replied.

So they kept walking.

Draco watched Sarah nervously all through dinner. While the news wasn’t as heart-wrenching to her as it was to Harry, Draco could tell that something was troubling her.

“I have to go,” Sarah said suddenly. She stood up from the table and left the Great Hall, leaving Draco looking worried and flabbergasted behind her.

She didn’t stop until she was standing outside Professor Lupin’s office, fist raised to knock on the thick door.

But for some reason, she didn’t.

“Sarah?”

Sarah started at the sudden voice behind her. She didn’t know how long she had been standing in front of the office, building up the courage to knock.

“Why don’t you come inside for some tea?” Professor Lupin suggested, walking smoothly past Sarah and opening the door wide in invitation.

Sarah nodded jerkily and stepped through, immediately veering to her favourite chair by the fire.

“Draco mentioned to me during dinner that I should come find you and talk,” said Professor Lupin, moving about to make tea. “He didn’t mention what exactly was on your mind but I’m guessing – “

“Why didn’t you tell me my mother was friends with Sirius Black?” Sarah said abruptly.

Lupin froze in shock. The teacup he was holding slipped from his grasp and shattered on the stone floor. He quickly flicked his wand at the pieces of ceramic and the teacup fixed itself, settling softly on the table.

Lupin turned around slowly to face Sarah, who sat staring dispassionately at him.

“What are you talking about?” Professor Lupin said.

“Please,” she muttered flatly. “Don’t.”

Professor Lupin looked sadly at her before sitting in the chair opposite.

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” he finally said.

“I want you to tell me why you never mentioned that my _mother_ was friends with _Sirius Black_. My best friend’s _godfather_ and the apparent reason why said best friend has no parents!”

A tense silence followed Sarah’s outburst. She sank back into the chair, unaware that she had even risen from it.

“I’m sorry, Sarah,” said Professor Lupin in a rasping tone. His sombre amber eyes met her brown ones. She had let her features fall back to their original ones earlier that afternoon. “I didn’t want to burden you with that knowledge – with the knowledge that one of our childhood friends was…well…”

“But you should have said something… _anything_ ,” Sarah whispered. “Especially to Harry.”

“You’re right,” Lupin agreed softly. “I should have. I should have done many things but I didn’t. And now, all I can do is ask you for your forgiveness. I shouldn’t have kept that information from you but I know that if I had to do it again, I would – if only to keep you from the pain you, and Harry, and are feeling.”

Sarah looked up at the professor. His scarred face was wan and his eyes were haunted, but his voice was still kind.

“I didn’t tell you about mine or your mother’s friendship with Sirius because of his actions many years ago,” Lupin explained. “He chose to betray us – his best friends – and I have never understood why. It was simply easier to push that part of me away – to ignore it and pretend it never happened.”

“I need to ask,” started Sarah. “How come you never tried to contact me before? Even after my mother’s death?”

Lupin sighed. “I didn’t know how much like your mother you were,” he answered earnestly. “I feared that you would take more after your father – especially once I had heard you were best friends with a Malfoy.”

“Draco is the best friend anyone could hope for,” Sarah said sharply.

“And I see that now,” Lupin calmly replied. “But the Malfoy’s I grew up with and knew never would have acted the way Draco acts. I know he is different from his father.”

“You need to tell Harry,” stated Sarah. “It was bad enough that he found out the way he did. He needs to hear it from someone he trusts.”

“Sarah…Harry doesn’t know that I was friends with his father,” Lupin said in a careful tone.

“Then tell him,” she said angrily. “He needs that connection to his parents! I am the _only_ person he knows that has any sort of connection to his family. He craves it. He’s never known that true love of a parent. Give him this opportunity. _Please_.”

Lupin studied her for a while, taking in her determined expression and fiery eyes.

“I’ll talk to him,” he said at last. “I promise.”

“Brilliant.” Sarah stood up from the chair. “Thank you,” she said. “For being honest with me.”

“I’m just sorry you couldn’t avoid this pain,” Lupin replied sadly.

“Life is full of pain, Professor,” she said evenly. “It’s learning how to deal with it that makes us strong.”

She gave him one last small smile before leaving his office. She needed to find Draco.

***

“I wonder how Harry is,” Sarah said quietly.

She was curled up in Draco’s warm arms on his bed. When she had walked into the common room after her meeting with Lupin, she had immediately headed toward the boy's dorm, not even stopping to check that Draco was following her.

“I’m sure Hermione and Ron are taking care of him,” Draco said hesitantly.

“Yes, but you want to make sure he’s okay, too,” Sarah said, a small smirk making its way onto her face.

“Well, of course, he’s my friend,” said Draco quickly. “Anyway, I need to be here with you.”

They sat in silence for a while longer before Sarah sighed exaggeratedly.

“That’s it,” she declared. “Get up.”

“What?” Draco asked in surprise, sitting up as Sarah get off the bed.

“Get up,” she repeated, throwing on one of his comfy jumpers. “I’ve had enough to you sitting there steeping in your own anxiety over Harry. We’re going to him, now.”

Draco immediately jumped up and put on a jumper.

Sarah simply rolled her eyes fondly at him and led him out of the common room.

“What the - ?”

“Not now, Ron,” Sarah marched through the Gryffindor common room after barking the password at Sir Cadogan.

She and Draco ignored the few startled Gryffindors who had remained home for the holidays and stomped up the stairs to the Third-Year boy’s dormitory.

The door flew open and Sarah stepped inside to see Harry lying on his back atop his covers, one arm covering his face.

Sarah dragged Draco forward and ushered him toward the bed with a little bow. He glared at her half-heartedly but drew closer to Harry’s bed.

“Harry?” Draco asked.

Harry silently held out a hand, eyes remaining tightly closed.

Draco took it and sat on the edge of the bed. He looked at Sarah questioningly but she just smiled and walked backwards out of the door, closing it gently behind her.

“Hey, Ron,” Sarah said casually, draping herself on the seat next to him. “Where’s Hermione?”

Ron gaped at her, mouth opening and closing like a fish.

Sarah raised an eyebrow at him. “Crookshanks got your tongue, Ronald?”

Ron’s blue eyes flashed at the mention of Hermione’s cat.

“Don’t even mention that bloody menace,” he growled. “What are you and Draco doing here?”

“We were worried about Harry,” she said quietly, looking around to make sure no one was listening to them.

“He barely said anything throughout dinner,” Ron frowned. “Why aren’t you up there?”

Sarah shrugged. “Draco’s got it.”

The redhead nodded and then said suddenly, “Chess?”

***************

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” Draco asked as the door to the boy’s dorm closed behind Sarah.

Harry scoffed shallowly. “Wow, that’s a first.”

Draco raised an eyebrow when Harry turned his head slightly.

“So far, Ron and Hermione have been asking variations of the same question – ‘Are you okay, Harry?’, ‘How are you feeling?’, ‘You know talking about it will really help’.”

Draco rolled his eyes at the last one.

“Well, I’m not asking you any of those,” Draco said.

Harry stared at him intently, his green eyes burning brightly with subdued rage and grief.

“You’re right,” he muttered. “You’re not.”

Draco waited patiently as Harry contemplated his answer. Finally, the other boy sighed and sat up a bit.

“I’m thinking that I’m just so _angry_ – at Sirius Black for betraying my parents, at Dumbledore for not telling me…” Harry’s eyes caught Draco’s and he couldn’t look away. The raw emotion in those emerald irises was like a punch to the chest. “ – at myself for feeling like I just want to _hurt_ him.”

Draco listened silently, keeping a hold of Harry’s gaze.

“Doesn’t that make me as bad as him?” Harry whispered in a fragile voice. “I wanted to hurt him. I didn’t even want to use a wand, I just wanted him to feel the pain I’m feeling.”

Draco leant forward and gripped Harry’s hand tighter, not realising until that moment that he was still holding it.

“Harry, I need you to listen to me and listen closely, okay?” Draco waited until Harry had nodded before continuing. “You have every right to be angry. You lost your parents, your chance at a normal childhood. And now, the man responsible for that is after you. Feeling anger to that degree does not make you the same as him. He killed people Harry – you could never do that. You are a good person.”

Harry drank in every word Draco was saying but his eyes remained haunted.

“You have suffered more than anyone your age should,” Draco continued. “I would be really worried if you weren’t feeling what you were. It just means you’re human, Harry. Don’t ever feel like your feelings are irrelevant. And don’t ever feel like you’re alone. You have me, Sarah, Ron, Hermione, the Weasleys – Merlin knows there’s enough of them.”

Harry cracked a small smile and Draco returned it.

“Thanks, Draco,” Harry said sincerely.

“Anytime, Harry,” Draco smiled.

“Will you stay?” Harry asked suddenly, startling Draco. “Just to – to keep me company – for a while?”

Draco blinked in shock before he grinned broadly. “Of course.”

Harry moved over to give space to Draco beside him, both boys resting up against the headboard.

Draco looked around the dormitory, nose scrunching as he took him the unmade beds and clothing littering the floor.

“Do you Gryffindors even understand the concept of cleanliness?” Draco drawled.

Harry barked out a laugh.

“This is nothing,” he said. “Seamus isn’t even here. This is clean in comparison.”

“That’s revolting, Potter,” Draco sneered, but his lips twitched upward slightly, giving away his amusement.

“Shut it, _Malfoy_ ,” Harry teased, bumping Draco’s shoulder lightly. “Not all of us can be as pristinely clean as _you_.”

“Good breeding,” drawled Draco with a smirk.

“Yes, I’m sure all the incest really draws out the best qualities in people,” Harry declared.

Draco stared at him in shock for a moment before bursting into laughter.

Harry tried to keep a straight face for as long as he could but Draco’s laughter was infectious and the dark-haired boy soon succumbed to the same fate.

The pair sat there, laughing at the top of their lungs whilst clinging to each other, tears of mirth running down their faces – the pain of before long pushed aside for joy.

***************

Sarah looked up when she heard raucous laughter drift down the stairs leading to the boy’s dorm.

“I think Draco succeeded in cheering up Harry,” she said to Ron with a smile.

“Thank, Merlin,” muttered Ron. “I really didn’t want to listen to another of Hermione’s rants about opening up about _feelings_.” The redhead shuddered to emphasise his point.

“Excuse you, Ronald. Talking about how you are feeling is extremely therapeutic and can help resolve anxiety and stress.”

Ron froze at Hermione’s loud voice and sheepishly turned around to face her.

“I know, ‘Mione,” he said complacently to the irritate brunette. “It just goes over my head sometimes.”

“Ohhh, maybe not the best choice of words, darling,” Sarah muttered to Ron, too quiet for Hermione to hear her.

Hermione swelled up in a terrifyingly accurate reflection of Mrs Weasley and Sarah chose that moment to take her leave.

“I’m just gonna – yep – bye – “ She muttered before practically racing up the staircases to the boy’s dorm, ignoring Ron’s pleading face behind her.

She had just reached the right level when Hermione’s voice boomed up the stairs, “ _ALL I TRY TO DO IS HELP YOU BOYS OUT AND YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE THE COMMON DECENCY TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY EFFORTS! I CANNOT BELIEVE – “_

Sarah wrenched the door open and slammed it closed, muffling Hermione’s shouts.

“Sarah?”

“What’s happening?”

Draco and Harry sat shoulder to shoulder on Harry’s bed. Their previous delighted expressions had fallen into concerned confusion.

“Hey, loves,” Sarah said calmly. “Don’t mind Hermione, Ronald just said something that irritated her a bit.”

The wave of sound outside increased fractionally to the point where even the solid wooden door was having difficulty muffling it.

“We may want to wait a bit before descending,” suggested Sarah.

She observed the two boys, who were both flushed from laughter and were sitting very close together. She even thought they were holding hands.

“Draco was always amazing at making me feel better,” Sarah commented as she sat on the end of Harry’s bed.

The boys tucked their legs in to give her more room. They seemed to realise that they were holding hands; both blushing bright pink as they pulled away as if they had been burned.

Sarah just internally rolled her eyes.

“Er – yeah, he is really good at it,” Harry said, commenting on Sarah’s previous words. “I feel loads better, now.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” she said sincerely. “I was a bit of a mess earlier – I went to see Professor Lupin.”

“Why?” Harry asked.

“Because he was friends with my mother, so I wanted to know why he had never told me about Sirius Black and her friendship,” Sarah explained. “I also might have shouted at him that he should have at least talked to you,” she finished sheepishly.

Draco snickered at her but shut up when Harry punched his arm.

“Only Sarah would shout at a teacher and get away with it,” Draco sighed, reclining more comfortably against the headboard.

“At that moment, Lupin was a family friend, not my professor,” Sarah shrugged. “So, apart from running away from Hermione, I also wanted to see if you wanted to come down and get some hot chocolate with me?”

The boys perked up at the mention of hot chocolate.

“Definitely!” Harry exclaimed. “But how? Dinner’s finished.”

“Well, we’ll go to the kitchens of course,” Sarah stated as if it were obvious.

“You know where the kitchens are?” Harry said in wonder.

“Not exactly,” she replied. “But you do.”

“I do?”

“Yes! Your map, you idiot!”

“Ohhh!”

Harry quickly scrambled to his trunk and grabbed out the old parchment.

” _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!_ ”

They scanned it before Sarah’s eyes snagged on a familiar name.

“There!” she exclaimed, pointing at the bottom left corner.

“Dobby?” Draco said in amazement. “Why would Dobby be here?”

“Er – well, when I freed him from your father he probably had nowhere to go. Maybe Dumbledore hired him?” said Harry.

“Doesn’t matter,” Sarah declared. “We know where to go, so let's go. Bring your cloak as well, Harry. It’s nearly curfew.”

“You just want to sneak around Hermione and Ron without getting drawn into their fight,” Draco noted knowingly.

Sarah scowled but didn’t reply.

The three of them ducked under the Invisibility Cloak and walked through the common room and out the portrait hole, bypassing a fuming Hermione and a helpless Ron.

Sarah snickered at the thought of Ron getting a tongue lashing for his tactlessness. Harry slapped her arm lightly and hissed for her to be quiet.

The trio slowly made their way down the hallways until they were standing outside the spot where the map indicated a door which led to the kitchens.

“It’s just a painting,” Draco said, staring at the picture of a bowl of fruit in confusion. “Are you sure the entrance is here?”

“Positive,” Harry replied, checking the map again. “Dobby’s name is in the next room with a bunch of other names – I think they’re all house-elves.”

“Okay, let’s try this then,” Sarah suggested. She stood up straighter and called out commandingly, “ _Dobby!”_

A quiet _crack!_ Sounded and Dobby appeared in front of them.

Sarah threw the cloak off them and bent down to the greet the house elf.

“Mistress Sarah!” Dobby squealed. His large, tennis ball shaped eyes filled tears as he gazed up at Sarah. His attention then turned to Draco, and then Harry.

Dobby squeaked and his smile somehow grew wider.

“Master Draco! Harry Potter, sir! What can Dobby be doing for Mistress and Masters?”

“We’re not your masters, Dobby,” Draco said, his lips twitching up as he tried not to laugh.

“Dobby is a free elf!” Dobby declared in excitement. “But Dobby is more than happy to help Mistress Sarah and Master Draco – and any friend of Harry Potter is a friend of Dobby’s!”

“Good to know, Dobby,” Sarah laughed. “But I have to ask – what on _earth_ are you wearing?”

Instead of the usual pillowcase that Dobby had had to wear when serving the Malfoys, he now had a purple scarf hanging down either side of his shoulders, a pair of shrunken brown dungarees over his bare chest, and mismatched socks that gave Sarah a headache if she focused on them for too long.

“Professor Dumbledore has given Dobby a wage, Mistress Sarah!” Dobby’s high voice trilled. “He is letting Dobby buy his own clothes now!”

“Yes, we can see that,” Draco smirked in amusement.

“Dobby, just call me Sarah, okay? Not Mistress,” Sarah said to the house-elf, who seemed to momentarily struggle with the request.

“Does that mean that Miss Sarah will not call on Dobby when he is needed?” Dobby said, his lower lip beginning to tremble slightly.

“Of course not!” Sarah assured quickly. “Draco, Harry and I will always call for you when we need you, Dobby.”

Dobby’s face broke into a wide, joyous smile.

“Thank you, Miss Sarah!” squealed Dobby. “How can Dobby be helping?”

“We’d like to know how to get into the kitchens,” Harry said with a smile. “Is it possible?”

Dobby nodded his head very fast, the ends of his scarf bouncing vigorously on his chest.

“Yes, yes, Dobby can show you!”

With that, Dobby turned around to face the painting and reached up a thin arm to tickle the pear in the bowl.

Sarah, Harry and Draco watched in amazement as the pear giggled and transformed into a golden doorknob, which Dobby firmly grasped and pulled, revealing a large entranceway into a vast room.

“Follow Dobby, Miss and Misters!” Dobby said before hurrying inside.

Sarah shrugged at Harry and Draco before following Dobby, her stomach growling at the delicious scents that assaulted her nose.

The room was as large as the Great Hall and had five tables set up in a replica of House and teacher tables. Sarah guessed that the elves must cook everything and lay it out on the table for it to then be transported to the corresponding table above.

Hundreds of house-elves ran around the large space. Sarah had no idea what they were doing, considering that dinner had long since finished. Their heads turned as the three students walked into the room and a wave of excitement spread throughout the gathered elves.

“May we please have some tea and snacks?” Draco asked the room at large, politely.

Immediately, the elves snapped into action and within minutes there was a complete tea set laid out on a smaller table in the corner. Sandwiches, cakes, tarts, chocolate, and other snacks were placed on another tray beside the tea.

“Wow,” Harry said in amazement. “This is incredible. Thank you.”

The elves preened in delight and went back to their previous jobs. Dobby stayed with them and was practically vibrating with excitement.

“How is Miss Sarah and Misters Draco and Harry finding it?” he asked, quivering beside them.

“It’s excellent, thank you Dobby,” Sarah said gratefully.

Dobby beamed. “Please call for Dobby if you be needing anything else!”

After they had assured him that they could indeed call for him if they needed, the over-excited elf pranced away, waving his purple scarf.

“I could get used to this,” Sarah sighed after they had finished their food. She leant back further in her chair and saw Harry and Draco reclining in a similar manner, their shoulders brushing.

“Any idea what you want to do for the holidays?” Harry asked.

“Well, we have to make sure we finish our homework first,” Draco voiced.

Harry and Sarah shared an exasperated look and shook their heads at the blond boy.

“What?” Draco said defensively. “The sooner we get it done, the sooner we can do whatever garish Gryffindor idea you’ve concocted.” He sent a pointed glance at Harry, who shrugged, not denying it.

“I want to skate on the ice,” Sarah declared. “And spend some time walking around the grounds – I love them in the winter.”

“I’ve never ice-skated before,” confessed Harry. “The Dursleys weren’t ones for sport and even if they did go they never took me.”

Draco’s face soured at the mention of the Dursleys and he resolutely said, “It’s decided then. We’ll teach you to ice-skate.”

“And then we’ll willingly go along with your snowball fight,” Sarah added.

“How did you know I wanted to plan a snowball fight?” Harry asked in amazement.

Sarah just rolled her eyes. “Please, it’s all you Gryffindors do in the snow.”

Harry sulked in faked offence as Draco and Sarah laughed at him.

“It’s decided then,” Sarah concluded with a smirk. “The Slytherins will teach the Gryffindor the elegance of ice-skating and the Gryffindor will inflict the crude nature of a snowball fight upon the Slytherins.”

Draco snickered alongside Sarah as Harry spluttered out nonsense retorts, eventually resolving to scowl at the pair of them and flip them the finger.

Eventually, they called it a night and yawning, let the kitchens to the raucous goodbyes of the elves. Harry dropped Sarah and Draco off at the Slytherin common room and hugged them goodbye before disappearing beneath the cloak.

The pair trundled into the common room and waved at Blaise and Theo, who was sitting half-asleep by the fire.

“Thank Merlin, you’re back,” Blaise said with a yawn. He hauled himself off the couch and pulled Theo to his feet, who teetered slightly and rested his head on Sarah’s shoulder when she stood beside him to steady the boy.

“Why are you still awake?” Sarah asked and they began to walk to the boy’s dorm.

Blaise shrugged and said nonchalantly, “Wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Sarah felt a warmth flow through her at her friends’ concern for her.

“I’m okay now,” she smiled, squeezing Theo’s waist tighter and reaching out a hand to grab Blaise’s tightly. “I’ll stay with you boys tonight.”

“If you’re not careful you’ll be sleeping in Theo’s bed,” Blaise snorted. “He looks like he’s fallen asleep on you.”

Theo indeed had nearly dozed off, soft puffs of air hitting Sarah’s neck as he directed him to his bed.

“Who says I wouldn’t prefer to sleep in Theo’s bed tonight than Draco’s?” she asked with a sly smirk. “Draco snores.”

“I most certainly do _not_!” Draco gasped, affronted. “And just for that, you’re not staying in my bed.”

He glowered at her in mock outrage and climbed into his bed.

“Well, it’s either Theo or me, Sarah,” Blaise said, wriggling his eyebrows. “Make your choice.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow at the dark-skinned boy. “I think I’ll take my chances with Theo, thanks. I don’t think I’d fit in your bed with all that ego.”

A loud snort echoed from Draco’s bed as Blaise pouted at her.

“You wound me, love.”

“Someone’s got to make sure you’re not so full of hot air that you float away,” she replied breezily. “Come on, Theo, into bed now.”

Theo flopped bonelessly onto his sheets and Blaise rolled his eyes before helping Sarah manoeuvre the boy so that she had space.

“You're in my bed,” Theo mumbled as she got settled.

“Yes, Draco is being particularly prissy tonight,” she replied, ignoring the indignant noise from the bed beside them.

“Mm’kay,” Theo said sleepily. “G’night.”

“Night, Theo.”

***

“Let’s go visit Hagrid,” Harry suggested the next morning at breakfast.

“Okay…?” Draco said slowly, confused at the sudden change in subject. “Any particular reason why that jumped into your head right now?”

“Yes,” Harry said firmly. “I want to ask him why he never mentioned Sirius Black when he told me all about my parents!”

Sarah and Draco shared a quick look.

“Harry…I don’t you should – “ Draco started but was interrupted by Harry.

“Sarah did,” he snapped. “She went and confronted Lupin. Why can’t I?”

“He’s got a point, Draco,” Sarah said softly.

Draco heaved a sigh and nodded reluctantly. “Just try not to get too angry, okay, Harry?”

“Fine,” said Harry.

The three of them hurried onto the grounds after breakfast was finished. Sarah had taken one look at Ron and Hermione’s angry faces and told them to go sort out their issues before joining them at Hagrid’s.

They made their way slowly down the lawn, making a shallow trench in the glittering, powdery snow that had fallen last night. Snowflakes twirled around them, landing on their damp robes and hair. The Forbidden Forest looked as though it had been enchanted, each tree smattered with silver, and Hagrid’s cabin looked like an iced cake.

Draco knocked on the door but there was no answer.

“He’s not out, is he?” said Sarah, who was shivering under her cloak.

Draco had his ear to the door.

“There’s a weird noise,” he said. “Listen – is that Fang?”

Sarah and Harry put their ears to the door too. From inside the cabin came a series of low, throbbing moans.

“Do you think we should go and get someone?” said Draco nervously.

“Hagrid!” called Harry, thumping on the door. “Hagrid, are you in there?”

There was a sound of heavy footsteps, then the door creaked open. Hagrid stood there with his eyes swollen, tears splashing down the front of his leather vest.

“Yeh’ve heard?” he bellowed, and he flung himself onto Harry’s neck.

Hagrid being at least twice the size of a normal man, this was no laughing matter. Harry, about to collapse under Hagrid’s weight, was rescued by Sarah and Draco, who each seized Hagrid under an arm and heaved him back into the cabin. Hagrid allowed himself to be steered into a chair and slumped over the table, sobbing uncontrollably, his face glazed with tears that dripped down into his tangled beard.

“Hagrid, what’s wrong?” Sarah said in concern, reaching forward to place her hand on top of Hagrid’s giant one.

Hagrid pointed at an official-looking letter lying open on the table.

Harry grabbed it and began to read quickly, Draco peering over his shoulder. Suddenly, Draco’s face lost all its colour and he looked up at Hagrid, horrified.

“Hagrid – how – how did this happen?” Draco stuttered.

“What?” Sarah said quickly.

“There’s going to be a hearing about Buckbeak,” Harry explained flatly.

“But why?” asked Sarah, aghast.

“My father made an official complaint,” Draco said miserably. “Hagrid, I swear I had no idea.”

“Is there any chance of Buckbeak getting off?” Harry asked nervously.

“Yeh don’ know them gargoyles at the Committee fer the Disposal o’ Dangerous Creatures!” choked Hagrid wiping his eyes on his sleeve. “They’ve got it in fer interestin’ creatures!”

A sudden sound from the corner of Hagrid’s cabin made Harry, Sarah and Draco whip around. Buckbeak the hippogriff was lying in the corner, chomping on something that was oozing blood all over the floor.

“I couldn’ leave him tied up out there in the snow!” choked Hagrid. “All on his own! At Christmas.”

“You’ll have to put up a good strong defence, Hagrid,” said Sarah. “I’m sure you can prove Buckbeak is safe.”

“Won’t make no difference!” sobbed Hagrid. “Them Disposal devils, they’re all in Lucius Malfoy’s pocket! Scared o’ him! An’ if I lose the case, Buckbeak – “

Hagrid drew his finger swiftly across his throat, then gave a great wail and lurched forward, his face in his arms.

Draco looked like he was going to be sick.

“Hagrid – I…” he tried to say.

“I’m not blamin’ yeh, Draco,” Hagrid said thickly. “I know yeh didn’ say anythin’ ter yeh father.”

Draco sagged in relief.

“I’ll help however I can,” he promised.

“You mean, _we’ll_ help,” Sarah corrected, patting Hagrid on his giant forearm. “You didn’t think we were going to let you deal with this alone, did you?”

“Listen, Hagrid,” Harry said, “you can’t give up. Sarah, Draco and I will help – and so will Ron and Hermione when we tell them.”

“I’m sure there are cases where a hippogriff has gotten off,” Draco said thoughtfully. “I’ll research it.”

Hagrid howled loudly as he shot them grateful, tear-drenched looks.

“Er – shall I make a cup of tea?” said Draco.

Sarah stared at him.

“It’s what mother does whenever someone’s upset,” Draco muttered, shrugging.

“I did always love you mother’s tea,” Sarah reminisced.

Draco began to glide around the small kitchen, preparing tea and biscuits. Harry walked over to watch him curiously and Sarah heard him muttering quietly to Draco.

Sarah turned her attention back to Hagrid and continued to pat his arm reassuringly.

“Yer right. I can’ afford to go ter pieces. Gotta pull meself together…”

Fang the boarhound came timidly out from under the table and laid his head on Hagrid’s knee.

“I’ve not bin meself lately,” said Hagrid, stroking Fang with one hand and mopping his face with the other. “Worried abou’ Buckbeak, an’ no one likin’ me classes – “

“We do like them!” lied Sarah at once.

“Yeah, they’re great!” said Harry as he helped Draco bring the tea over to the table. “Er – how are the flobberworms?”

“Dead,” said Hagrid gloomily. “Too much lettuce.”

“Oh no!” said Harry, his lip twitching.

“Well, maybe if you started with different creatures it could help take your mind off the hearing?” Draco suggested, taking his seat beside Harry again and holding his steaming tea in his hands.

“Maybe,” agreed Hagrid. “An’ them dementors make me feel ruddy terrible an’ all. Gotta walk past ‘em ev’ry time I want a drink in the Three Broomsticks. ‘S like bein’ back in Azkaban – “

He fell silent, gulping his tea. Sarah, Draco and Harry watched him breathlessly. They had never heard Hagrid talk about his brief spell in Azkaban before. After a pause, Sarah said timidly, “Is it awful in there, Hagrid?”

“Yeh’ve no idea,” said Hagrid quietly. “Never bin anywhere like it. Thought I was goin’ mad. Kep’ goin’ over horrible stuff in me mind…the day I got expelled from Hogwarts…day me dad died…day I had to let Norbert go…”

Sarah was secretly amused by the idea that one of Hagrid’s worse memories was saying goodbye to his baby dragon. It made her love Hagrid’s caring nature even more.

“Yeh can’ really remember who yeh are after a while. An’ yeh can’ see the point o’ livin’ at all. I used ter hope I’d jus’ die in me sleep…When they let me out, it was like bein’ born again, ev’ry thin’ came floodin’ back, it was the bes’ feelin’ in the world. Mind, the dementors weren’t keen on lettin’ me go.”

“But you were innocent!” said Harry.

Hagrid snorted.

“Think that matters to them? They don’t care. They don’ give a damn who’s guilty an’ who’s not.”

The trip to Hagrid’s wasn’t what any of them had expected. It successfully made Harry let go any remaining anger about Sirius Black, as they all had to focus entirely upon ensuring that Hagrid’s case was solid. Ron and Hermione joined them three of them in researching and planning once the pair had been updated.

Draco had sent off a very angrily worded letter to his father and hadn’t yet gotten a reply. Narcissa, on the other hand, had congratulated Draco on a few choice phrases of his but told him that his father was determined to discredit Dumbledore however possible.

Due to that, Draco began researching with renewed vigour, barely stopping long enough to eat and sleep. On more than one occasion, Sarah had to forcibly drag him away from the library or the common room just to make sure he didn’t collapse from exhaustion.

“Your turn, Harry,” she declared during one such research session. Harry had joined them in the nearly deserted Slytherin common room and the three of them had been researching for hours already.

Harry nodded in acknowledgement and stood up. He reached down and grabbed Draco’s arm tightly and heaved the thin boy to his feet.

“Just one more paragraph,” Draco begged, trying to grab the book in his free hand.

“Don’t even think about it,” warned Harry as Sarah snatched the book away. “Any requests, Sarah?”

“Surprise me.”

Harry smiled and continued to drag Draco away, who muttered protests and profanities under his breath.

The days passed in a similar manner and before they knew it, it was Christmas morning.

Sarah awoke to Draco excitedly throwing a pillow at her and shouting, “Sarah! Presents!”

She rolled her eyes but got out of bed. The only thing that could get Draco moving so fast in the mornings was the promise of presents – he hadn’t even styled his hair yet.

They tore through their gifts and spent a few hours just lounging around the common room until lunch. They knew that Harry and Ron would have slept in extremely late and didn’t see any reason in walking all the way up to Gryffindor Tower just to walk back down again a few minutes later.

At lunchtime they went down to the Great Hall, to find that the House tables had been moved against the walls again and that a single table, set for twelve, stood in the middle of the room. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout and Flitwick were there, along with Filch, who had taken off his usual brown coat and was wearing a very old and rather mouldy-looking tailcoat. Harry, Ron and Hermione were already seated, looking pissed off with each other. There were two free seats in between Harry and a small first year, and Sarah and Draco took them. Sarah greeted the nervous-looking first year beside her and held back a laugh at the startled squeaking noise they made at being acknowledged.

“Merry Christmas!” said Dumbledore once they had sat down. “Crackers!” He enthusiastically offered the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witch’s hat topped with a stuffed vulture.

Snape’s mouth thinned and he pushed the hat toward Dumbledore, who swapped it for his wizard’s hat at once.

Sarah made eye contact with Snape and bit back a laugh.

“Not a word,” Snape hissed menacingly.

Food suddenly appeared and Sarah zoned out briefly as she gathered a pile of delicious meats and vegetables onto her plate. She attention was drawn back in when she heard Draco asked urgently, “And you have no idea who it came from?”

Sarah turned around to see Draco looking nervously at Harry while the other boy looked slightly annoyed.

“No,” Harry said flatly.

“What’s going on?” Sarah asked curiously.

“Harry was sent a Firebolt for Christmas but he doesn’t know who sent it,” Draco explained quietly, eyeing the teachers at the table.

Sarah’s eyes bulged comically. “A _Firebolt_?” she hissed in awe. “That’s amazing!”

“That’s not the point, Sarah,” Draco snapped, cutting off Harry’s response. “The problem is that it could have been sent by Sirius Black!”

Sarah blinked in shock. “Oh, Merlin, you’re right,” she muttered.

“Ugh, not you two as well!” Harry exclaimed lowly. “Hermione’s already given me her disapproval.”

“Well, we won’t do that,” promised Sarah. “We just want you to make sure you think about the possible dangers – “

“What possible dangers?” Harry said in annoyance. “It’s a _broom_.”

“Brooms can be charmed to throw their riders off after a certain height, to not follow directions, to not stop,” Draco listed. “It’s a magical object, anything is possible.”

“What do you want me to do then?” Harry grumbled.

“Just get someone to examine it,” Sarah said kindly. “Once they do, you can be sure that it can’t hurt you. It’s an excellent broom and I’d hate for you to have to get rid of it because it’s cursed.”

Harry sighed deeply and shot them annoyed looks.

“Fine,” he conceded. “I’ll get Flitwick to look at it tomorrow.”

Sarah and Draco smiled at him in relief.

“Sybill, this is a pleasant surprise!” said Dumbledore, standing up.

“I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster,” said Professor Trelawny in a misty, faraway voice. Sarah hadn’t even noticed her enter. “And to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate. I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you forgive my lateness…”

“Certainly, certainly,” said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. “Let me draw you up a chair – “

And he did indeed draw a chair in midair with his wand, which revolved for a few seconds before falling with a thud between Professors Snape and McGonagall. Professor Trelawny, however, did not sit down; her enormous eyes had been roving around the table, and she suddenly uttered a kind of soft scream that made Draco jerk his hand in surprise and spill some gravy.

“I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!”

“We’ll risk it, Sybill,” said Professor McGonagall impatiently, causing Sarah to snort quietly. “Do sit down, the turkey’s getting stone cold.”

Professor Trelawny hesitated, then lowered herself into the empty chair, eyes shut and mouth clenched tight, as though expecting a thunderbolt to hit the table. Professor McGonagall poked a large spoon into the nearest tureen.

“Tripe, Sybill?”

Professor Trelawny ignored her.

Sarah turned to Draco, who was watching the interaction with wide, amused eyes.

“I’m so glad I didn’t take Divination,” she muttered to him. Harry, who had overheard her, snorted into his hand and caught her eye, his green eyes twinkling.

“It’s a decision I regret more and more every day,” he smiled.

Sarah turned back to the table’s conversation when Professor Trelawny asked where Professor Lupin was.

“I’m afraid the poor fellow is ill again,” said Dumbledore. “Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day.”

“But surely you already knew that, Sybill?” said Professor McGonagall, her eyebrows raised.

Professor Trelawny gave Professor McGonagall a very cold look.

“Certainly, I knew, Minerva,” she said quietly. “But one does not parade the fact that one is All-Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous.”

“That explains a great deal,” said Professor McGonagall tartly.

Professor Trelawny’s voice suddenly became a good deal less misty.

“If you must know, Minerva, I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long. He seems aware, himself, that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for him – “

“Image that,” said Professor McGonagall dryly.

Sarah and Draco both coughed to cover a snicker and Professor McGonagall’s eyes flicked to them quickly, sparkling slightly.

“I doubt,” said Dumbledore, in a cheerful but slightly raised voice, which put an end to Professor McGonagall and Professor Trelawny’s conversation, “that Professor Lupin is in any immediate danger. Severus, you’ve made the potion for him again?”

“Yes, Headmaster,” said Snape.

“Good,” said Dumbledore. “Then he should be up and about in no time…Derek, have you had any of these chipolatas? They’re excellent.”

The first-year boy beside Sarah went furiously red on being addressed directly by Dumbledore and took the platter of sausages with trembling hands.

Professor Trelawny behaved almost normally until the very end of the feast, two hours later. Harry, Ron and Sarah got up first from the table and she shrieked loudly.

“My dears! Which of you left their seat first? Which?”

“Dunno,” said Ron, looking uneasily at Harry.

“Well, it was probably Harry,” Sarah said calmly, stepping over to sling an arm over the exasperated boy. “We all know how much he loves running headfirst into danger.”

Harry rolled his eyes as Professor McGonagall said coldly, “I doubt it will make much difference. Unless a mad axe-man is waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first into the entrance hall.”

“Well, in that case, I _definitely_ want you boys to leave before me,” Sarah smirked, ruffling Harry’s messy hair and causing it to stick up even more.

Even Ron laughed. Professor Trelawny looked highly affronted.

“Coming?” Harry said to Hermione and Draco.

“Yep,” Draco replied, standing up with a slight groan. “I just want to lie down forever.”

“No,” Hermione muttered, “I want a quick word with Professor McGonagall.”

“Probably trying to see if she can take any more classes,” yawned Ron as they made their way into the entrance hall, which was completely devoid of mad axe-men.

When the four of them reached the Gryffindor portrait hole, they found Sir Cadogan enjoying a Christmas party with a couple of monks, several previous headmasters of Hogwarts, and his fat pony. He pushed up his visor and toasted them with a flagon of mead.

“Merry – hic – Christmas! Password?”

“Scurvy cur,” said Ron.

“And the same to you, sir!” roared Sir Cadogan as the painting swung forward to admit them.

“Completely bonkers,” Draco muttered as they clambered through the hole.

Harry ran up to his dormitory to collect his firebolt while the others fell into the comfy seats around the fire.

“I don’t think I can move,” groaned Sarah as she rested her head in Draco’s lap.

He just grunted in agreement and ran his fingers through her hair slowly.

Sarah was dozing peacefully when the portrait hole opened and Hermione walked in, accompanied by Professor McGonagall. Harry and Ron stared at their head of House as Hermione walked around them and sat down, picked up the nearest book, and hid her face behind it.

Sarah knew immediately that Hermione had told the Professor about the Firebolt. She sat up suddenly and watched carefully as Harry and Ron looked at their Professor in confusion.

“So that’s it, is it?” said Professor McGonagall beadily, walking over to the fireside and staring at the Firebolt. Sarah could see the exact moment that Harry realised what was going on, a second before McGonagall continued. “Miss Granger has just informed me that you have been sent a broomstick, Potter.”

Harry and Ron looked around at Hermione, whose forehead was reddening over the top of her book, which was upside down.

“May I?” said Professor McGonagall, but she didn’t wait for an answer before pulling the Firebolt out of the boys’ hands. She examined it carefully from handle to twig-ends. “Hmm. And there was no note at all, Potter? No card? No message of any kind?”

“No,” said Harry blankly. Draco twitched slightly at his tone. This definitely would not end well.

“I see…” said Professor McGonagall. “Well, I’m afraid I will have to take this, Potter.”

“W-what?” said Harry, scrambling to his feet. “But I was going to – “

“It will need to be checked for jinxes,” said Professor McGonagall. “Of course, I’m no expert, but I daresay Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick will strip it down – “

“Strip it down?” repeated Ron, as though Professor McGonagall was mad. Even Draco looked aghast at the idea.

“It shouldn’t take more than a few weeks,” said Professor McGonagall. “You will have it back if we are sure it is jinx-free.”

“There’s nothing wrong with it!” said Harry, his voice shaking slightly. “Honestly, Professor – “

He caught Sarah’s eyes. She shook her head slightly and he sagged in defeat.

“Okay…” he acquiesced. “Just – look after it, please?”

Professor McGonagall nodded sharply. “Of course, Potter. It is an excellent broom and I hope that nothing is hidden within it. I shall keep you informed.”

She turned on her heel and carried the Firebolt out of the portrait hole, which closed behind her. Harry stood staring after her until Sarah grasped his hand and gently pulled him onto the couch beside her and Draco. Ron, however, rounded on Hermione.

“ _What did you go running to McGonagall for?”_

Hermione threw her book aside. She was still pink in the face, but stood up and faced Ron defiantly.

“Because I thought – and Professor McGonagall agrees with me – that that broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!”

“We already thought about that!” Harry exclaimed angrily. “Draco warned me at breakfast. I was going to talk to Flitwick tomorrow.”

Hermione deflated slightly. “I didn’t know.”

“No, you didn’t,” Harry snapped. “But you still didn’t trust me enough to listen to reason.”

He stood up suddenly and marched away, leaving a devastated Hermione gazing after him. Ron followed quickly without a single glance in Hermione’s direction.

Draco hastily caught Hermione when she crumpled, tears filling her eyes.

“I just wanted to do the right thing,” she sobbed. “I didn’t want – H-harry to g-get h-h-hurt!”

“We know, ‘Mione,” Draco said soothingly, rubbing calming circles on her back. “Harry’s just angry, he’ll be fine soon.”

“Let him stew,” Sarah suggested. “He’ll come to his senses.”

The three of them sat there as Hermione cried. When the poor girl finally ran out of tears, she sniffed and said, “Thank you, guys. I’m going to head up to my room, I think.”

Sarah and Draco nodded and let her go, concern shining on their faces.

“We should check on the boys,” Sarah sighed. “No point letting them rile themselves up even more.”

“Ronald is going to be a right horror,” commented Draco as they began to walk up the stairs. “But I understand where his anger is coming from – stripping a broomstick isn’t very common. No one knows how it could turn out.”

“Let’s not mention that little fact right now,” advised Sarah. Draco snorted in bemusement and nodded.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooh it's starting.....

Sarah knew that Harry knew that Hermione meant well, but that didn’t stop him from being angry at her.

“You were going to give the broom to Flitwick anyway,” Sarah reminded him as they walked around the lake together. Draco was keeping Hermione company as they researched more about Buckbeak’s hearing. Sarah had no idea where Ron was but guessed that the redhead was probably sulking somewhere.

“I know. That’s not the problem,” Harry said sourly. “It’s the principle of the matter. She didn’t trust me – ergo, I’m angry.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t seem like a strong foundation for this argument.”

“Doesn’t have to be strong,” he argued. “Just has to make sense.”

Sarah opened her mouth to argue that point further but stopped herself at Harry’s pointed look.

“Don’t bother, Sarah,” he said. “I’m angry and I’ll probably remain angry until I get my Firebolt back. I just feel like she doesn’t trust me yet expects my trust in return.”

“Harry, of course, she trusts you,” Sarah said, pulling Harry to a stop. “She acted with her best intentions at heart. Her execution definitely could have been improved…”

Harry continued to stare at her stubbornly.

“Fine,” Sarah conceded. She crossed her arms over her chest. “I won’t push it anymore. Just know that you’re hurting her by ignoring her for doing something that she thought would ultimately help you. I don’t think it’s fair but it’s up to you.”

Harry frowned but nodded. He kept walking and Sarah followed.

“Where’s Draco?” Harry asked, staring out across the lake.

Sarah barely refrained from rolling her eyes at him. Instead, she kicked a stray rock into the water.

“With Hermione researching for Buckbeak’s hearing.”

“Oh,” Harry said. “I thought he would have wanted to join us.”

“He’s not very impressed with you right now,” she said wryly.

Harry frowned again, this time much deeper.

“Because of how I’m treating Hermione?” he asked quietly.

Sarah nodded. “He would have done the same thing if you didn’t agree to take it to Flitwick.”

“But he would have talked to me first!” Harry exclaimed.

“Hermione tried.”

“Draco wouldn’t have gone behind my back, though. He would have trusted me enough to tell me.”

“And Hermione doesn’t?” Sarah said with a sad smile. “Did you even give her the opportunity to tell you?”

“She made no effort,” Harry grumbled.

“Did you?”

Harry glared at her. “I hate it when you do that,” he said crossly.

“What?” Sarah asked, smile broadening. “Show you some sense?”

Harry huffed and turned away.

“I’m still angry at Hermione,” he finally muttered.

“Merlin, now I think you’re doing it just to be spiteful,” Sarah exclaimed, shaking her head. “If it makes you feel better, then okay. I can’t help you with Draco, though.”

“You’re his best friend though,” Harry stated.

“So are you.”

“He’s not angry with you.”

“Well observed.”

“It means he’ll listen to you.”

“He’ll listen to you if you _talk_ to him.

“He’s been avoiding me.”

“You’ve been avoiding Hermione.”

“I really hate you.”

“You love me. Without me, you’d be lost and in a constant state of confusion.”

“I don’t want to continue this conversation.”

“Well, it’s a good thing we’re back at the castle then.”

Harry looked up in shock, having not noticed that they had walked all the way around the lake and were now standing before the looming stone walls of the castle.

“What should I do?” he asked in a resigned voice.

“Re-evaluate your anger,” suggested Sarah. “Then talk to Hermione. Draco will follow quickly.”

Harry sighed before turning suddenly and drawing Sarah into a tight hug.

“You’re right,” he mumbled into her hair. “I would be lost without you.”

“I’m always right.”

She danced away with a laugh as Harry swiped at her, shaking his head in amusement.

***

Classes started again the next day. The last thing anyone felt like doing was spending two hours on the grounds on a raw January morning, but Hagrid had provided a bonfire fill of salamanders for their enjoyment, and they spent an unusually good lesson collecting dry wood and leaves to keep the fire blazing while the flame-loving lizards scampered up and the crumbling white-hot logs.

Despite Sarah’s conversation with Harry, he still hadn’t spoken to Hermione. Draco was getting more and more pissed off at the Gryffindor and had now begun to make his disapproval blatantly obvious.

He ignored Harry during classes and in the corridors. He chose to sit either at the Slytherin table with Blaise and Pansy or beside Hermione at the Gryffindor table during meals. He stopped coming to the Gryffindor common room as often and if he did, he only spoke to Hermione or Sarah.

“I’ve tried everything to get him to talk to me,” Harry complained one afternoon in the library when Draco had gotten up and left the minute Harry had arrived. “I don’t know what else to do!”

Harry was looking distraught and sleep-deprived.

“Draco’s always been by my side,” he whispered to Sarah, voice thick with emotion. “I never realised how much I relied on him until he was gone.”

“Harry, I’ve already told you what you need to do,” Sarah said calmly. “I don’t understand why you’re still stubbornly ignoring my advice.”

“I’m not ready to forgive her yet,” he countered, laying his head down onto the table.

Sarah sighed and ran a hand through his thick curls. “Well if you don’t forgive her soon, you’re going to lose Draco as well.”

It was after Defense Against the Dark Arts when Sarah and Harry got something else to think about.

“Ah, yes,” said Lupin when they reminded him of his promise at the end of class. “Let me see…how about eight o’clock on Thursday evening? The History of Magic classroom should be large enough…I’ll have to think carefully about how we’re going to do this…We can’t bring a real dementor into the castle to practice on…”

“Still looks ill, doesn’t he?” said Ron as they walked down the corridor, heading to dinner. “What d’you reckon’s the matter with him?”

There was a loud and impatient “tuh” from behind them. It was Hermione, who had been sitting at the feet of a suit of armour, Draco beside her, repacking her bag which was so full of books it wouldn’t close.

“And what are you tutting at us for?” said Ron irritably.

“Nothing,” said Hermione in a lofty voice, heaving her bag back over her shoulder.

“Yes, you were,” said Ron. “I said I wonder what’s wrong with Lupin, and you – “

“Well, isn’t it _obvious_?” said Hermione, with a look of maddening superiority.

Sarah’s blood ran cold. Draco shot her a concerned glance and inclined his head to the left.

“If you don’t want to tell us, don’t,” snapped Ron.

“Fine,” said Hermione haughtily, and she marched off. Draco hesitated for a moment before following her with a backwards glance at Sarah, his eyes flicking briefly to Harry.

“She doesn’t know,” said Ron, staring resentfully after Hermione. “She’s just trying to get us to talk to her again.”

Sarah straightened and turned to the boys. “Stop it!” she snapped. “I have had _enough_ of you treating her like shit just because she was trying to do the right thing.”

Ron and Harry stared at her in shock.

“I have tried talking to both of you about this and _neither_ of you wants to listen. So, fine!” She adjusted her bag and glared at them. “I’m _done_! Until you pull your heads out of your arses, _stay out of my way_!”

With that, she marched off after Hermione and Draco, ignoring Harry’s calls of her name.

Sarah found the pair in a small alcove, just about to use the Time-Turner.

“Sarah,” Draco said in surprise when she squished in next to them.

“I’ve had enough of those two idiots,” she said. “Let’s just go to class.”

Before they spun the Time-Turner, Sarah turned to Hermione.

“Hermione,” the other girl looked up in surprise and Sarah continued. “Please don’t say anything about Professor Lupin."

***

At eight o’clock on Thursday evening, Sarah walked into the History of Magic classroom to find Harry and Professor Lupin already waiting, a large packing case between them on Professor Binns’s desk.

Harry tried desperately to catch her eye but she ignored him. She had been deflecting his attempts to talk to her all week – she wasn’t going to give in until he made up with Hermione. Even so, Sarah couldn’t help but notice how bad the boy looked. He had dark circles under his eyes and his face was quite pale as if he were ill. His hair, though normally an atrocious mess, was mussed beyond belief, the dark strands standing out in every direction. She couldn’t help feeling the small spike of guilt that coursed through her; she knew that her and Draco’s absence had hit Harry hard.

“What’s that?” she asked Professor Lupin, pointing at the packing case.

“Another boggart,” he said, stripping off his cloak.

“Why do you have a boggart?” Sarah said in shock, fear tinging her words.

“Harry’s boggart turns into a dementor,” Professor Lupin explained, looking at them curiously. “That means it will be a great help to us tonight – You and I just need to stay out of its line of sight, Sarah.”

Sarah nodded and flicked her eyes quickly to Harry’s to find his green ones already looking at her. Pain and remorse filled them and made Sarah desperately want to go over and just hug him forever but she turned away, drawing her wand and directing her attention back to Lupin.

“So…” Professor Lupin had also taken out his wand and indicated that Harry should do the same. He sent one more confused glance between the two students before becoming serious. “The spell I am going to try and teach you is highly advanced magic – well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm.”

“How does it work?” said Harry nervously.

“Well, when it works correctly, it conjures up a Patronus,” said Lupin, “which is a kind of anti-dementor – a guardian that acts as a shield between you and the dementor.”

“What does it consist of?” Sarah asked.

“The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the dementor feeds upon – hope, happiness, the desire to survive – but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the dementors can’t hurt it. But I must warn you, the charm might be too advanced. Many qualified wizards have difficulty with it.”

“What does a Patronus look like?” said Harry curiously.

“Each one is unique to the wizard who conjures it.”

“And how do you conjure it?”

“With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory.”

Sarah thought about her happy memories: time spent with Draco, her mother, Harry and the others. She thought of the warmth that grew in her chest whenever her friends did something to make her feel loved. She remembered the quiet times spent with her mother, lounging around the Manor grounds and simply enjoying each other’s presence.

“The incantation is this – “ Lupin cleared his throat. “ _Expecto Patronum!”_

“ _Expecto Patronum_ ,” Sarah and Harry repeated under their breath.

“Concentrating hard on your happy memory?” Lupin asked. The pair nodded.

Sarah was concentrating so hard on her own memory that she almost missed the wisp of silvery gas that whooshed suddenly out of Harry’s wand.

She smiled brightly, forgetting for a moment that she was meant to be angry at him.

When she remembered, she frowned and turned back to her own attempts. She thought of a few weeks back, when Blaise and Theo had waited up for her to make sure she was okay. She focused on the warm feeling she had gotten then, let it fill her up until her fingertips were tingling.

“ _Expecto Patronum_ ,” she whispered. She felt her magic flow through her arm and out her wand and gasped when a silvery mist formed, before disappearing just as fast.

“Excellent work, you two!” said Lupin, smiling. “Right, then – ready to try it on a dementor?”

“Yes,” Harry said, gripping his wand very tightly, and moving into the middle of the deserted classroom.

Sarah, on the other hand, moved further away from the case.

“I think I want to practice a bit more before I try it on a dementor,” she told Lupin, who smiled at her and nodded.

“Of course, Sarah,” he said kindly. “Whatever works for you.”

She smiled back gratefully and watched as Lupin grasped the lid of the packing case and pulled.

A dementor rose slowly from the box, its hooded face turned toward Harry, once glistening, scabbed hand gripping its cloak. The lamps around the classroom flickered and went out. The dementor stepped from the box and started to sweep silently toward Harry, drawing a deep, rattling breath. A wave of piercing cold broke over Sarah as she watched Harry try to cast a Patronus but fail.

Harry’s voice faded out as Sarah began to hear familiar screaming. A second later, the lid of the packing case slammed shut and warmth cam rushing back into the room.

Lupin was bending over Harry, who lay on the floor, shivering slightly.

“Harry!” she shouted, rushing over to his side.

“Sorry,” he muttered, sitting up and wiping at the sweat on his forehead.

“Are you all right?” said Lupin.

“Yes…” Harry pulled himself up on one of the desks and leaned against it.

Sarah decided she had ignored him long enough and clambered onto the desk beside him, letting him lean his body against hers. Harry looked at her in surprise.

“I can’t stay mad at you for long,” she admitted, brushing back his damp fringe. “Especially not when you look so bloody sad.”

Harry laughed weakly and allowed Sarah to mother him.

“Here,” Lupin handed Harry a Chocolate Frog. “Eat this before we try again. I didn’t expect you to do it your first time; in fact, I would have been astounded if you had.”

“It’s getting worse,” Harry muttered, biting off the Frog’s head. “I could hear her louder this time – and him – Voldemort – “

Lupin looked paler than usual.

“Harry, if you don’t want to continue, I will more than understand – You too, Sarah – “

“I do!” said Harry fiercely, echoing Sarah. “I’ve got to! What if the dementors turn up at our match against Ravenclaw? I can’t afford to fall off again. If we lose this fame we’ve lost the Quidditch Cup!”

“Harry, I think you’re getting your priorities mixed up here,” Sarah mumbled.

Lupin just looked amused. “All right then…” he said. “You might want to select another memory, a happy memory, I mean, to concentrate on…That one doesn’t seem to have been strong enough…”

Sarah let Harry go and walked to the other side of the classroom to continue practising. She heard Lupin go to open the lid and closed her eyes, focusing entirely on a happy memory. She smiled when another silvery mist erupted from the end of her wand but the smile quickly fell when she realised that Harry had collapsed again.

“Harry! Harry…wake up…” Lupin was saying to the unresponsive boy.

Lupin was tapping Harry hard on the face. Harry opened his eyes and blinked around in confusion for a minute before seeming to remember what had happened.

“I heard my dad,” Harry mumbled. Sarah gasped quietly behind him. “That’s the first time I’ve ever heard him – he tried to take on Voldemort himself, to give my mum time to run for it…”

Harry bent his face as low as possible and wiped at the tears that had begun to fall. Sarah quickly wrapped an arm around his shoulders and held his shaking body tight.

“You heard James?” said Lupin in a strange voice.

Of course, Lupin must have been friends with Harry’s father if he was friends with Sarah’s mother.

“Yeah…” Face dry, Harry looked up. “Why – you didn’t know my dad, did you?”

“He was friends with him and my mother,” Sarah explained quietly, not looking away from her Defense teacher.

“That’s right, Sarah,” Lupin confirmed with a sad smile. “James was a very good friend of mine. Listen, Harry – perhaps we should leave it here for tonight. This charm is ridiculously advanced and you both have already made a lot of progress…”

“No!” said Harry, getting up again. “I’ll have one more go! I’m not thinking of happy enough things, that’s what it is…Hang on…”

Lupin gave a resigned sigh but nodded his head. Harry turned away and began to pace quickly as he thought of a memory.

“I saw your progress in the corner,” Lupin said suddenly to Sarah. “Very impressive.”

She blushed and muttered, “It was nothing. Just a bit of mist.”

“Sometimes people can’t even produce that much,” Lupin replied kindly, amber eyes sparkling. “I know you and Harry will be able to do it.”

“Do you think next time we should practice without the boggart?” Sarah asked.

“I think the boggart gives Harry more motivation and determination to perform the charm,” explained Lupin. “It makes his charm stronger and easier to be drawn upon during a crisis.”

“I guess I’ll have to eventually practice in front of it,” Sarah grumbled.

“Only when you’re ready,” promised Lupin.

They turned back to Harry when the dark-haired boy suddenly exclaimed, “I’m ready!”

“You sure?” said Lupin, who looked as though he were doing this against his better judgment. He once again grasped the packing case lid. “Concentrating hard? All right – go!”

He pulled off the lid of the case for the third time, and the dementor rose out of it; the room felt cold and dark –

“ _EXPECTO PATRONUM!_ ” Harry bellowed. “ _EXPECTO PATRONUM! EXPECTO PATRONUM!_ ”

The screaming inside Sarah’s head began to fade as a huge, silver shadow came bursting out of the end of Harry’s wand, to hover between him and the dementor. Harry’s legs began to visibly shake.

“ _Riddikulus_!” roared Lupin, springing forward.

There was a loud crack, and Harry’s cloudy Patronus vanished along with the dementor; he sank toward the ground, with Sarah hurriedly gripping him around the waist and depositing him into a chair.

“Excellent!” Lupin said, striding over to where Harry and Sarah sat. “Excellent, Harry! And you too, Sarah. You’ve both done more than I expected you would manage.”

“Can we have another go? Just one more go?” Harry asked.

“Not now,” said Lupin firmly. “You’ve had enough for one night. Here – “

He handed Harry a large bar of Honeydukes’ best chocolate.

“Eat the lot, or Madam Pomfrey will be after my blood. You too, Sarah, you were affected as well. Same time next week?”

“Okay,” Sarah said in resignation, taking a small piece of chocolate. “We’ll see you then.”

Sarah lifted Harry up, who was still slightly wobbly on his legs and helped him out of the room.

“So, you’re talking to me again,” Harry said quietly as they made their way toward the Gryffindor common room.

“I am,” Sarah said shortly. “And if you say anything to upset me I’ll drop you here and leave you to freeze.”

“Okay, sorry, sorry,” he said in a rush. “I mean – I’m glad. I missed you.”

Sarah turned to look at him and squeezed his waist tighter. “I missed you, too,” she said sincerely. “But I’m still pissed at you. You and Ron are both being idiots and it’s not far to Hermione or Draco or me!”

Harry looked sheepishly at her. “I realised I was being an idiot when you stopped talking to me.”

“Oh, just me? Not Draco?” Sarah snapped grumpily.

“What do you mean?” Harry asked in confusion.

“I _mean_ ,” she said slowly. “Draco’s opinion is extremely important to you and you just let yourself lose him, despite having a very easy way to fix the problem!”

“It wasn’t an easy way,” Harry argued. “I wasn’t ready to forgive Hermione.”

“So, you’re ready now?” Sarah pressed. “You’re ready to stop acting like an idiot and finally get your best friend back. Your best friend who, might I add, is extremely upset that you haven’t even made the effort to get him back.”

Harry looked extremely downcast.

“Honestly, Harry,” Sarah continued. “All it would have taken was one word – it doesn’t even have to be an apology. You just had to stop treating Hermione like shit! You could have told her that you were still angry and wanted space, you didn’t have to disregard her like a piece of trash!”

“I didn’t think about it like that,” Harry admitted, looking ashamed.

Sarah sighed and stopped walking, causing Harry to stop as well.

“I know you didn’t and it’s not really your fault that you didn’t,” she said softly. “But do you see now how you’ve been hurting everyone?”

Harry nodded solemnly.

“Do you think Draco will take me back?” he asked.

“Funny how you worded it like that,” Sarah teased.

Harry blushed a bright pink and spluttered, “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Harry,” Sarah said seriously, looking directly into his green eyes. “You’ve been more worried about Draco’s feelings than you have mine or Hermione’s and Draco wasn’t even the person you wronged. I’m not an idiot, I can see you care about him.”

“Of course, I care about him. He’s my best friend!”

“You know that’s not what I mean.”

Harry stared at her in silence, gnawing at his bottom lip. His green eyes were bright and worried.

“Sarah…”

“Harry, you have to admit it to yourself,” she said softly, grasping his shoulders.

He looked down at his feet. “I don’t know what to admit.”

“How do you feel when you think of Draco?” she asked him.

Harry thought for a moment before answering in a soft voice, “I feel really happy. I love it when he’s near me and talking to me and I miss him when he’s not. It’s the same for you and Ron and Hermione but it’s also different. I know that no matter what I say, he won’t judge me, he’ll just support me.” Harry looked at Sarah quickly. “I’m not saying you don’t either it’s just – “

“Harry, you don’t have to justify that to me,” she interrupted with a smile. “You and Draco have a different dynamic than you and me, or me and Draco, or you and Hermione and Ron. It’s perfectly okay.”

“But Sarah, I don’t really know what it means,” he whispered.

“You don’t have to,” she reassured him. “When did you start feeling like this?”

“Well, I think I’ve always felt different with Draco,” he told her. “But recently, it’s started to feel different – stronger or something.”

“When he comforted you after we found out about Black?” Sarah guessed, smiling slightly when Harry looked up at her in shock.

“Yes, exactly,” he stammered. “I _wanted_ him to stay. I knew that, no matter what, he’d make me feel better.”

Sarah smiled widely. “It’s why you’ve both been so upset these past weeks.”

“You don’t mean…” he trailed off, staring at her with bright eyes.

“I don’t want to say for certain, but I have my suspicions,” Sarah said. “The rest is up to you.”

“He can’t know,” Harry said rapidly. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship.”

“Harry…”

“No, Sarah. Promise me you won’t tell him.”

Sarah looked at him quite seriously for a long moment.

“Okay,” she finally said. “I promise.”

Harry sagged in relief and continued walking, Sarah following behind him, a contemplative look on her face.

***

The morning of the Ravenclaw and Slytherin Quidditch game dawned cloudy with a hint of rain. Sarah got good luck hugs from Harry and Hermione, and she couldn’t help but notice that Harry’s eyes followed Draco sadly.

“Go wish him luck,” she whispered into his ear, giving him a slight push.

Harry froze slightly before standing straighter and nodding.

When she saw them next, Draco was grasping Harry in a tight embrace and was smiling widely.

“You’re in a good mood,” she teased when they began to walk down to the pitch.

“Shut up, you minx,” he said, trying to fight down his smile.

“Don’t,” she said. “Let yourself be happy.”

Draco blushed but smiled brightly throughout the entire game. The smile only grew larger when he caught the Snitch and was caught up in a celebratory hug by Harry immediately once he had landed.

“You did it!” Sarah screamed, jumping at the boys. They cried out in surprise but caught her. She smothered Draco’s face in kisses and ruffled his blond hair. “I’m so proud!”

“You don’t have to sound so surprised,” Draco mumbled, blushing in delight.

“Oh, I know you’re an excellent Seeker,” Sarah said dismissively. “You’ve just been sad for a while. I’m so happy you’re feeling better.” She shot a secret smile at Harry, who blushed as well.

The term began to pick up again, with the Third Years getting an increase in their workload. Sarah, Draco and Harry were feeling it in particular, as they had Quidditch training on top of everything. Along with Lupin’s Patronus lessons and researching for Buckbeak’s hearing, Sarah was surprised she was getting any sleep at all. Even so, Hermione was showing the strain even more. Every evening without fail found Hermione, Draco and Sarah hauled up in the library, ploughing through their immense workloads. Hermione would already have their table ready when Sarah and Draco trudged in from either Quidditch practice or Sarah’s Patronus lessons. Whenever they managed to get some free time, they were all buried in tomes about magical creature trials and cases. Draco, in particular, felt especially guilty about the entire situation.

“It’s my fault Buckbeak might be executed,” he cried one evening, ruffling through a book as thick as his head. “I need to make sure his case is solid or we’ll lose.”

“It’s not your fault,” Sarah said firmly, grabbing his chin and looking into his frenzied, silver eyes. “It was your bastard father’s doing. We’re doing everything we can, you need to calm down.”

Draco nodded and slowed his pace for approximately five minutes before finding an important piece of information and losing himself in his frantic researching once again.

“How are you guys doing it?” Ron muttered to Sarah one evening as they sat finishing a nasty essay on Undetectable Poisons for Snape. She looked up and followed Ron’s eye line to Hermione and Draco, who were at another table and surrounded by a wall of books.

“Doing what?”

“Getting to all your classes!” Ron said. “I’ve heard you talking about your Ancient Studies lesson yesterday but we had Care of Magical Creatures! And you’ve never missed a lesson of either.”

“Ron, stop worrying about it,” Sarah said dismissively. “I have to focus on this and so do you – Merlin knows you need all the points you can get for Potions.”

Sarah had just started on her conclusion for the essay when she was interrupted again, this time by Wood, who had come to talk to Harry.

“Bad news, Harry. I’ve just been to see Professor McGonagall about the Firebolt. She – er – got a bit _shirty_ with me. Told me I’d got my priorities wrong. Seemed to think I cared more about winning the Cup than I do about you staying alive. Just because I told her I didn’t care if it threw you off, as long as you caught the Snitch first.” Wood shook his head in disbelief. “Honestly, the way she was yelling at me…you’d think I’d said something terrible…Then I asked her how much longer she was going to keep it…”

Sarah blocked out the rest of his words, focusing instead on finishing her essay.

“Still can’t believe Hermione ratted you out,” Ron grumbled from across the table, glancing hatefully in Hermione’s direction.

“For fucks sake!” Sarah exclaimed in a harsh whisper. “I’m actually _trying_ to get the work done. I’m not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth Hermione _again_!”

She gathered her stuff together and angrily marched off to sit beside Draco. A minute later, Harry ran over and said helplessly, “I’m sorry Ron’s being an idiot. But I really need help with this. Will you help me?”

He stared at her with his big, innocent green eyes and Sarah felt her resolve crumble.

“Fine!” she hissed, pulling another chair up with her wand. “But Ronald is on his own.”

Draco snorted from beside her and pushed a large book toward Harry.

“This will help,” he said with a small smile.

Harry shot him a grateful look and bent his head close to Sarah’s as she worked through his assignment with him.

***

January faded imperceptibly into February, with no change in the bitterly cold weather. To both Sarah’s and Harry’s disappointment, their Patronus lessons were not going nearly as well as they had hoped. Several sessions on, and they were still only able to produce a large, silvery mist. Sarah had begun to practice with the dementor alongside Harry, but their Patronus’ were too feeble to drive it away. All it did was drain them of energy. Lupin, however, was eternally optimistic.

“You’re both showing even more progress than someone you’re age could be expected, too,” he said after another failed lesson had left them disheartened. “I know you will both achieve it.”

On their way back to the Gryffindor common room, where they would meet Draco and Hermione to continue studying, Harry walked headlong into Professor McGonagall.

“Do watch where you’re going, Potter!”

“Sorry, Professor – “

“I’ve just been looking for you in the Gryffindor common room. Well, here it is, we’ve done everything we could think of, and there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with it at all. You’ve got a very good friend somewhere, Potter…”

Sarah and Harry’s jaws dropped. She was holding out Harry’s Firebolt, and it looked as magnificent as ever.

“I can have it back?” Harry said weakly. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” said Professor McGonagall, and she was actually smiling.

Sarah groaned. “This is going to back it so much harder for Draco to beat you,” she said, looking at the Firebolt reverently. 

“I daresay you’ll need to get the feel of it before Saturday’s match, won’t you? And Potter – _do_ try and win, won’t you? Or we’ll be out of the running for the eighth year in a row, as Professor Snape was kind enough to remind me only last night…sorry, Deaumont….”

Speechless, Harry and Sarah carried the Firebolt back upstairs toward Gryffindor Tower. As they turned a corner, they saw Ron dashing toward them, grinning ear to ear.

“She gave it to you? Excellent! Listen, can I still have a go on it? Tomorrow?”

“Yeah…anything…” said Harry.

“I think this means you ought to make up with Hermione now, Ronald,” Sarah said sternly. “Or else I won’t let Harry lend you the broom.”

“Sarah!” Ron said, aghast.

“She’s right, Ron,” Harry agreed. “Hermione was only trying to help…”

“Yeah, all right,” said Ron. “She’s in the common room now – working, for a change – “

They turned into the corridor to Gryffindor Tower and saw Neville Longbottom pleading with Sir Cadogan, who seemed to be refusing him entrance.

“I wrote them down!” Neville was saying tearfully. “But I must’ve dropped them somewhere!”

“A likely tale!” roared Sir Cadogan. Then, spotting Sarah, Harry and Ron: “Good evening, my fine young yeomen and fair lady! Come clap this loon in irons. He is trying to force entry to the chambers within!”

“Oh, shut up,” Ron said as they drew level with Neville.

“I’ve lost the passwords!” Neville told them miserably. “I made him tell me what passwords he was going to use this week, because he keeps changing them, and now I don’t know what I’ve done with them!”

“Oddsbodikins,” said Harry to Sir Cadogan, who looked extremely disappointed and reluctantly swung forward to let them into the common room. There was a sudden, excited murmur as every head turned and the next moment, Harry was surrounded by people exclaiming over his Firebolt.

“Come on, Neville. Let’s go sit by the fire,” Sarah said kindly, leading the distraught boy toward the table commandeered by Hermione and Draco. She ran her fingers through Draco’s hair in greeting and he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“I see Harry got his broom back,” he commented with a smirk.

“Indeed,” Sarah replied. “He even convinced Ronald to stop being an idiot and finally makeup with you, Hermione.” She inclined her head at the bushy-haired girl, who was bent over a long roll of parchment and scribbling furiously. Hermione lifted tired eyes to Sarah and smiled weakly before going back to her work.

Sarah idly played with Draco’s silky hair and chatted with Neville as she watched in amusement as Harry and Ron fought the crowd to get to their table.

“I got it back,” Harry said to Hermione, grinning at her and holding up the Firebolt.

“See, Hermione? There wasn’t anything wrong with it!” said Ron.

“Ronald…” Draco said in warning.

“Well – there _might_ have been!” said Hermione in a frantic tone. “I mean, at least you know now that it’s safe!”

“Yeah, I suppose so,” said Harry. “I’d better put it upstairs – “

“I’ll take it!” said Ron eagerly. “I’ve got to give Scabbers his rat tonic.”

He took the Firebolt and, holding it as if it were made of glass, carried it away up the boys’ staircase.

Harry looked around at the cluttered table filled with Hermione and Draco’s work.

“How are you getting through all this stuff?” Harry asked the working pair.

“Just good time management,” Draco said distractedly. “Sarah, is this correct?” He pointed at a line of rune translation for her to check.

She had just started explaining the translation when a strangled yell echoed down the boys’ staircase. The whole common room fell silent, staring, petrified, at the entrance. Then came hurried footsteps, growing louder and louder – and then Ron came leaping into view, dragging with him a bedsheet.

“LOOK!” he bellowed, striding over to their table. “LOOK!” he yelled, shaking the sheets in Hermione’s face.

“Ron, what - ?”

“SCABBERS! LOOK! SCABBERS!”

Hermione was leaning away from Ron, looking utterly bewildered. Sarah looked down at the sheet Ron was holding. There was blood on it and it was ripped up in some places.

“BLOOD!” Ron yelled into the stunned silence. “HE’S GONE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?”

“N-no,” said Hermione in a trembling voice.

Ron threw something down onto Draco’s rune translation. They all leant forward. Lying on top of the spiky runes were several long, ginger cat hairs.


	10. Chapter Ten

It looked like the end of Ron and Hermione’s friendship. Each was so angry with the other that Sarah, Draco and Harry couldn’t see how they’d ever makeup.

Ron was enraged that Hermione had never taken Crookshanks’s attempts to eat Scabbers seriously, hadn’t bothered to keep a close enough watch on him, and was still trying to pretend that Crookshanks was innocent by suggesting that Ron look for Scabbers under all the boys’ bed. Hermione, meanwhile, maintained fiercely that Ron had no proof that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, that the ginger hairs might have been there since Christmas, and that Ron had been prejudiced against her cat ever since Crookshanks had landed on Ron’s head in the Magical Menagerie.

This also caused division between the other three. Harry personally thought that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, but Sarah and Draco vehemently disagreed with him. The next problem was that Draco again sided with Hermione and chose to spend his time with her when he wasn’t with Sarah. Harry had taken Ron’s side, to no one’s surprise. This left Sarah helplessly trying to mediate the two pairs, to no avail. It wasn’t until Ron had snapped at her and said that she only cared about what Draco cared about and never had her own opinion, that she truly left him alone. Harry had tried to apologise again and again to her for Ron’s behaviour but she wouldn’t hear it.

“It means nothing when _you_ apologise, Harry,” she snapped. “Either Ron pulls his head out of his arse and apologises or _nothing_!”

This meant that Sarah, Draco and Hermione focused primarily on their increasing workload, as well as putting the final edits to Buckbeak’s case.

Hermione was a wreck.

She had nearly gotten back her two friends, only to lose them again over something she had no control over. She buried herself beneath books and scrolls but Sarah knew it was taking a toll on her.

“We need a break,” Sarah announced one afternoon. It had been a few weeks since The Fight, as Sarah was calling it. The three of them had been studying in the library all day and the words in her textbook were beginning to blur before her eyes.

“We should go down to Hagrid’s,” suggested Draco with a yawn. “We can show him the finalised case.”

Hermione begrudgingly agreed, so they packed up their stuff and trekked down to the gamekeeper’s cabin. The weather had been warming significantly and a pleasant breeze followed them through the grounds.

“’Ello, you three!” Hagrid cried when they knocked on the door. “Come in, come in. I’ll get the kettle on.”

Sarah, Hermione and Draco huddled around the large table and pulled out the case notes. Fang came over and placed his head on Hermione’s knees, wagging his tail happily when she began to pet him between the ears.

“What can I do fer yeh?” Hagrid asked as he placed four enormous mugs of tea on the table.

“We needed a break from studying,” Sarah explained, gratefully taking a cup. “We thought we might come down and show you the final case notes.”

“I really appreciate all the help yeh’ve bin puttin’ in,” said Hagrid. “I don’ know what Buckbeak and I would’ve done without yeh.”

Once they finished refreshing Hagrid on the major arguments, Hagrid leant back and examined the three of them.

“Yeh look tired,” he commented with a worried look on his bearded face. “Yer not puttin’ too much pressure on yerselves, are yeh?”

“It’s Ron,” Draco sighed. “And Harry,” he added after a moment. “Ron’s rat Scabbers has gone missing and Ron blames Hermione and her cat. He’s been quite horrible to her and Sarah.”

“What does he expect?” Hagrid said gruffly. “A cat is gonna do what cat’s do. It’s not yer fault, Hermione, if yer cat hunts a rat.”

“That’s what we’ve been trying to explain to him,” Sarah said. “But last time I did that he snapped at me something horrid.”

“I’m sorry ter hear that,” said Hagrid solemnly. “How’s Harry treatin’ yeh?”

“He’s sided with Ron,” Hermione said miserably. “But I think that’s partially due to me. I snapped at him once by accident.”

“He’s not givin’ yeh any issues, is he?” asked Hagrid.

“No,” Hermione replied. “He still comes and talks to us but he doesn’t want to leave Ron alone.”

“I think it’s ridiculous,” Sarah exclaimed. “Ron’s being an idiot and drawing his best friend into it. I understand he’s upset about losing his rat, but _honestly_.”

“All yeh can do now is wait ‘til they come ter their senses,” Hagrid advised. “They’ll see that they’re missing out by pushin’ yeh away. Jus’ give ‘em some time ter realise that.”

***

The five of them still hadn’t made up by the time the Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor Quidditch match came around. Hermione, in a moment of anger-filled indecisiveness, asked Padma Patil for a spare Ravenclaw scarf, which she wound around her neck.

“Hermione, I don’t think that is going to help you get the boys back,” Draco commented lightly as they made their way to the Gryffindor stands. “If anything, it may make Ron angrier at you.”

“At least then he’ll have a valid reason,” Hermione huffed.

“Anyway, we’re not here for Ron,” said Sarah smoothly, “we’re here for Harry.”

“Honestly, this is the only time I hope he _doesn’t_ catch the Snitch,” Draco muttered. “But it makes me feel horrible because I really hope he _does_.”

“It’s only because Slytherin is coming second,” commented Hermione, ignoring the ire-filled look Ron was shooting her. “It’s natural to be conflicted.”

Sarah waved down at Harry when the team walked into the pitch. All around them, gasps of awe cut through the air as people caught sight of Harry’s Firebolt.

“Actually, on second thought, I wouldn’t want to be versing Harry on that,” Draco said, frowning slightly at the gleaming broom.

“Is this seat taken?” said a sudden voice to Sarah’s left.

She turned around to see Professor Lupin standing beside her, smiling and wearing a threadbare Gryffindor scarf.

Sarah smiled in return and gestured for him to sit. “I think Harry took his wand with him,” she mentioned to the professor. “He doesn’t want a repeat of the last game.”

“I hope for all our sakes there isn’t,” commented Professor Lupin mildly.

With a sharp whistle, the match began. Lee Jordan was providing the match commentary, to Sarah’s great amusement. He kept getting told off by Professor McGonagall for focusing on the Firebolt instead of the match.

The players were a blur of scarlet and blue. Harry, in particular, was extremely difficult to spot, as he kept zooming around the pitch in a dizzying blur. The crowd surged at one point when Harry spotted the Snitch, but he was cut off by a Bludger.

“Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at that Firebolt go! Potter’s really putting it through its paces now, see it turn – Chang’s Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt’s precision-balance is really noticeable in these long – “

“JORDAN! ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!”

Sarah and Draco laughed in delight at Professor McGonagall’s shout and Lee Jordan’s attempt to steal the microphone away from her.

Draco suddenly gasped. Harry had dropped into a very steep dive with Cho following quickly. All of a sudden, Harry pulled out of it and shot to the opposite end of the pitch.

“He’s seen the Snitch!” Draco cried in excitement. “He was feinting!”

Harry was accelerating faster and faster towards his goal.

Cho suddenly let out a scream and pointed toward the stands.

Sarah shot her gaze to where three hooded figures towered in the stands.

“Are those - ?”

She never got to finish her question, for at that moment, Harry pulled out his wand and roared the Patronus incantation.

An enormous silver stag erupted from the end of Harry’s wand and charged the figures, who… _screamed?_

Harry hadn’t even paused to look. He had kept flying and snatched up the small, struggling Snitch. The stands exploded with cheers. Professor Lupin was applauding madly beside her and Hermione and Draco were jumping up and down, hugging each other. Sarah grabbed Draco’s arm and dragged him down to the pitch where Harry and his team were still hovering midair, hugging and crying.

Sarah and Draco raced across the pitch the minute Harry touched down, throwing their arms around him. A second later, another impact made it known that Hermione had joined their group hug.

“YOU DID IT!” screamed Sarah, kissing his cheeks and jumping in delight. “YOU WON!”

“I can’t even be upset right now, I’m so happy!” Draco shouted, pulling Harry into another bone-crushing hug. “You’re amazing, Harry! Amazing!”

Harry blushed in delight and greeted the other Gryffindors.

“That was quite some Patronus,” said a soft voice suddenly.

Sarah only heard it because she still had one of Harry’s arms wrapped around her. They turned to see that Professor Lupin had joined their circle, looking both shaken and pleased.

“The dementors didn’t affect me at all!” Harry said excitedly, grabbing Draco’s hand when the blond tried to give the Professor move space. “I didn’t feel a thing!”

“That would be because they – er – weren’t dementors,” said Professor Lupin. “Come and see – “

He led Harry out of the crowd, with Harry dragging Sarah and Draco along with him until they were able to see the edge of the field.

“You can Mr Crabbe quite a fright,” said Lupin.

Sarah burst out laughing. Lying a crumpled heap on the ground were Crabbe, Goyle, and Marcus Flint, the Slytherin team Captain, all struggling to remove themselves from long, black, hooded robes. Standing over them, with an expression of the utmost fury on her face, was Professor McGonagall.

“An unworthy trick!” she was shouting. “A low and cowardly attempt to sabotage the Gryffindor Seeker! Detention for all of you, and fifty points from Slytherin! I shall be speaking to Professor Dumbledore about this, make no mistake! Ah, here he comes now!”

“Come on, you three!” said George, fighting his way over. “Party! Gryffindor common room, now!”

“Yes!” said Sarah, and the three of them joined the crowd spilling out of the stadium. Sarah couldn’t help but notice that Harry hadn’t let go of Draco’s hand yet, not that the blond seemed to be complaining about that.

She caught Draco’s eye and gave him a sly wink. He immediately blushed bright red but couldn’t contain the smile on his face.

***

The Gryffindors obviously felt as though they had already won the Quidditch Cup; the party went on all day and well into the night. Fred and George Weasley disappeared for a couple of hours and returned with armfuls of bottles of butterbeer, pumpkin fizz, and several bags full of Honeydukes sweets. People kept coming up to Sarah and Draco and joking that if they still wanted to be let into Gryffindor, they better match sure they lose the next match. Sarah would just roll her eyes and drag Draco away before he could say anything offensive.

Only one person wasn’t joining in the festivities. Hermione, incredibly, was sitting in the corner, attempting to read an enormous book entitled _Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles_. Sarah and Draco broke away from where Fred and George had started juggling bottles and went over to her. Harry was sitting on one end of the couch and moved over to give them room to sit. Sarah made sure that Draco was pressed tightly up against Harry’s side and ignored the elbow he jabbed into her ribs.

“Come on, Hermione, come and have some food,” Harry was saying, moving his arm onto the back of the couch so that Draco had more room.

“I can’t, Harry. I’ve still got four hundred and twenty-two pages to read!” said Hermione, now sounding slightly hysterical. “Anyway…” She glanced over at Ron. “ _He_ doesn’t want me to join in.”

There was no arguing with this, as Ron chose that moment to say loudly, “If Scabbers hadn’t just been _eaten_ , he could have had some of those Fudge Flies. He used to really like them – “

Hermione burst into tears. Before any of them could say or do anything, she tucked the enormous book under her arm, and, still sobbing, ran toward the staircase to the girls’ dormitories and out of sight.

“Can’t you give her a break?” Harry asked Ron quietly.

“No,” said Ron flatly. “If she just acted like she was sorry – but she’ll never admit she’s wrong, Hermione. She’s still acting like Scabbers has gone on vacation or something.”

Sarah crossed her arms in anger and glared at the redhead, who made a quick escape.

“She’ll be okay, Harry,” Draco said soothingly, placing a hand on Harry’s shoulder.

The raven-haired boy turned to look at him and smiled softly.

“I hope so,” Harry sighed. He took his arm off the back of the couch and placed it around Draco’s shoulders, squeezing tightly.

Draco rested his head on Harry’s shoulders and stuck his tongue out at Sarah when she winked at them.

The Gryffindor party ended only when Professor McGonagall turned up in her tartan dressing gown and hair net at one I the morning, to insist that they all go to bed. Sarah bid the boys goodnight and climbed the stairs to Hermione’s dormitory, where she found the girl sitting on her bed, eyes red-rimmed and puffy. Sarah said nothing but wrapped Hermione up in a warm hug, before laying them both down and stroking the other girl’s curls until they both fell asleep.

“AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Sarah shot up as though she had been hit in the face. Familiar shouting was coming from another dormitory but it sounded too far away to have been a girl’s one.

“Draco! Harry!” Sarah cried, wrenching herself from Hermione’s bed and scrambling through the growing crowd on the stairs.

She raced into the common room and collided with Dean Thomas, who held her firmly as the other boys appeared from the staircase.

“Draco! Draco, are you okay?” Sarah cried frantically, looking around for the distinctive blond hair. “I heard screaming. Is everyone all right?”

Familiar hands grabbed her and she collapsed into Draco’s chest, clutching at an unfamiliar shirt.

“What on earth are you wearing?” she asked once she had calmed down a bit.

“Er – Harry lent me pyjamas,” Draco blushed.

“Cute,” she said. “But is everyone all right? Who screamed?”

“Ron did,” Seamus said. “Said Sirius Black was standing over him with a knife.”

“ _What?”_

“Are you _sure_ you weren’t dreaming, Ron?” Dean asked.

“I’m telling you, I saw him!”

“All right, calm down, Ron. I believe you,” Harry urged, appearing next to Sarah.

“What’s all this noise?”

“Professor McGonagall told us to go to bed!”

A few more girls and boys had appeared in the staircases, pulling dressing gowns on and yawning.

“Excellent, are we carrying on?” said Fred Weasley brightly.

“Everyone back upstairs!” said Percy, hurrying into the common room and pinning his Head Boy badge to his pyjamas as he spoke.

“Perce – Sirius Black!” said Ron faintly. “In our dormitory! With a knife! Woke me up!”

The common room went very still.

“Nonsense!” said Percy, looking startled. “You had too much to eat, Ron – had a nightmare – “

“I’m telling you – “

“Now, really, enough’s enough!”

Professor McGonagall was back. She slammed the portrait behind her as she entered the common room and stared furiously around.

“I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!”

“I certainly didn’t authorise this, Professor!” said Percy, puffing himself up indignantly. “I was just telling them all to get back to bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare – “

“IT WASN’T A NIGHTMARE!” Ron yelled. “PROFESSOR I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!”

Professor McGonagall stared at him.

Sarah shivered as realised she was just wearing a thin shirt of Draco’s that she had stashed in Hermione’s room months ago. Fred noticed her shiver and took off his dressing-gown, handing it to her silently.

Professor McGonagall finally recovered from her shock.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Weasley, how could be possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?”

“Ask him!” said Ron, pointing a shaking finger at the back of Sir Cadogan’s picture. “Ask him if he saw – “

Glaring suspiciously at Ron, Professor McGonagall pushed the portrait back open and went outside. The whole common room listened with bated breath.

“Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?”

“Certainly, good lady!” cried Sir Cadogan.

There was a stunned silence, both inside and outside the common room.

“You – you _did_?” said Professor McGonagall. “But – but the password!”

“He had ‘em!” said Sir Cadogan proudly. “Had the whole week’s, my lady! Read ‘em off a little piece of paper!”

Professor McGonagall pulled herself back through the portrait hole to face the stunned crowd. She was white as chalk.

“Which person,” she said, her voice shaking, “which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week’s passwords and left them lying around?”

There was utter silence, broken by the smallest of terrified squeaks. Neville Longbottom, trembling from head to fluffy-slippered toes, raised his hand slowly into the air.


	11. Chapter Eleven

No one in Gryffindor Tower slept that night. They knew that the castle was being searched again, and the whole House stayed awake in the common room, waiting to hear whether Black had been caught. Harry gave Sarah a warmer set of pyjamas than just Draco’s shirt and she was now curled comfortably up on the couch, head resting in Harry’s lap as she dozed. Draco was comforting Hermione, who was pale and shaking. Ron and his siblings had commandeered the floor in front of the fire and were talking in soft whispers. Professor McGonagall came back at dawn, to tell them that Black had again escaped.

Throughout the day, everywhere they went they saw signs of tighter security; Professor Flitwick could be seen teaching the front doors to recognise a large picture of Sirius Black; Filch was suddenly bustling up and down the corridors, boarding up everything from tiny cracks in the walls to mouse holes. Sir Cadogan had been fired. His portrait had been taken back to its lonely landing on the seventh floor, and the Fat Lady was back. She had been expertly restored, but was still extremely nervous, and had agreed to return to her job only on the condition that she was given extra protection. A bunch of surly security trolls had been hired to guard her.

Sarah had stopped going to the Gryffindor common room as much, as the trolls gave her flashbacks to first year and that wasn’t something she wanted to continually relive.

Ron had become an instant celebrity. For the first time in his life, people were paying more attention to him than to Harry, and it was clear that Ron was rather enjoying the experience. He was more than happy to recount every detail of the night’s events to whoever asked what happened.

Blaise, Pansy, Theo and Millicent had been beside themselves with worry when they heard what had happened.

“You were in the same room as him!” Pansy cried latching onto Draco the minute she saw him. “You could have been killed!”

“He only went for Ron, for some reason,” soothed Draco, patting Pansy on the back. “I’m okay, Pans.”

The distraught girl let go and allowed Millie to wrap an arm around her.

“And you’re okay, Sarah?” Theo asked in worry.

She nodded and smiled. “I’m fine. I was just worried about the boys.”

“Yeah,” Draco laughed. “She was so worried she ran down in just my shirt – I swear she nearly embarrassed half the boys to death.”

“Fuck off!” she said, swiping at him. “Fred gave me his dressing gown in no time.”

“They still got an eyeful,” Draco teased.

“Of my legs!” she said in exasperation. “It’s not like I was standing around in my underwear!”

Draco snickered as Sarah hit him repeatedly.

Neville was in total disgrace. Professor McGonagall was so furious with him she had banned him from all future Hogsmeade visits, given him detention, and forbidden anyone to give him the password into the tower. Poor Neville was forced to wait outside the common room every night for somebody to let him in, while the security trolls leered unpleasantly at him. Sarah had gotten Harry to swear that he would make sure Neville always got into the common room in the evenings.

None of these punishments came close to matching the Howler sent to Neville from his grandmother. When the mail arrived at breakfast, Ron advised Neville to, “Run for it”, and Neville didn’t need telling twice. He seized the envelope, and holding it before him like a bomb, sprinted out of the hall.

Hedwig had also delivered a letter for Harry from Hagrid. It was inviting him and Ron to tea.

“Want to come with?” Harry called down to Sarah and Draco hopefully. They were sitting a few seats away with Hermione.

“It’s fine, go,” Hermione said. “I need to talk to Professor Vector about a question.”

So Sarah and Draco joined Harry and Ron in meeting Hagrid. Draco still refused to speak to Ron, regardless of his brush with death. This left Harry and Sarah awkwardly conversing to fill the silence.

Hagrid was waiting for them at the entrance to the castle when they arrived.

“All right, Hagrid!” said Ron. “S’pose you want to hear about Saturday night, do you?”

“Sarah and Draco already told me abou’ it,” said Hagrid, opening the front doors and leading them outside.

“Oh,” said Ron, glancing angrily in their direction.

The first thing they saw on entering Hagrid’s cabin was Buckbeak, who was stretched out on top of Hagrid’s patchwork quilt, his enormous wings folded tight to his body, enjoying a large plate of dead ferrets. Sarah and Draco immediately went over to greet the hippogriff, who blinked happily at them.

“What are they for, Hagrid?” said Harry, drawing Sarah’s attention back to the conversation. Harry was pointing at a gigantic, hair brown suit and a very horrible yellow-and-orange tie.

“Buckbeak’s case,” said Hagrid. “This Friday. Him an’ me’ll be goin’ down ter London together. I’ve booked two beds on the Knight Bus…”

Sarah saw the exact moment Harry and Ron realised they had forgotten about their promise to Hagrid. Harry glanced at Sarah and Draco was grimaced when they sent unimpressed looks their way. With all the fuss about the Firebolt and then Scabbers, neither of the boys had made any effort to join Hermione, Sarah and Draco in researching – and the trio wasn’t interested in asking them to join either.

Hagrid poured them tea and offered them a plate of Bath buns, but they knew better than to accept; they had had too much experience with Hagrid’s cooking.

“I got somethin’ ter discuss with you two,” said Hagrid, sitting himself in front of Harry and Ron and looking uncharacteristically serious.

“What?” said Harry, glancing uneasily in Sarah and Draco’s direction where they were lounging with Buckbeak.

“Hermione,” said Hagrid.

“What about her?” said Ron.

“She’s in a righ’ state, that’s what. She’s bin comin’ down ter visit me a lot since Christmas. Mainly with Sarah and Draco, that’s why I’m not talkin’ ter them – but also alone. Bin righ’ upset. Firs’ yeh weren’t talkin’ ter her because o’ the Firebolt, now yer not talkin’ to her because her cat – “

“ – ate Scabbers!” Ron interjected angrily.

“Because her cat acted like all cats do,” Hagrid continued doggedly. “She’s cried a far few times, yeh know. Goin’ through a rough time at the moment. Bitten off more’n she can chew, if yeh ask me – same with you two,” Hagrid added, pointing a large finger at Sarah and Draco. “Still, yeh found time ter help me with Buckbeak’s case, mind…Found some really good stuff fer me…reckon he’ll stand a good chance now…”

“Hagrid, we should’ve helped as well – sorry – “ Harry began awkwardly.

“Yes, you should have!” Sarah said angrily, crossing her arms. “I know you’ve been busy with Quidditch practice and Lupin’s lessons but so have I, Harry, and I still found time.”

“I’m not blamin’ yeh,” said Hagrid, waving Harry’s apology aside. “Though I would do some grovellin’ ter those two, they deserve it. Still tryna defend yer even when yer both being idiots. I gotta tell yeh, I thought you two’d value yer friend more’n broomsticks or rats. Tha’s all.”

Harry and Ron exchanged uncomfortable looks.

“Really upset, she was, when Black nearly stabbed yeh, Ron. She’s got her heart in the right place, Hermione has, an’ you two not talkin’ ter her – “

“If she’d just get rid of that cat, I’d speak to her again!” Ron said angrily. “But she’s still sticking up for it! It’s a maniac, and she won’t hear a word against it! Neither do those two!”

Sarah growled slightly as Ron pointed at them but Draco held her back with a warning look to Harry.

“Ah, well, people can be a bit stupid abou’ their pets,” said Hagrid wisely.

***

Sarah and Draco had marched off to the Slytherin common room after visiting Hagrid, having had enough of Ron for the day. Harry had watched them sadly before leading Ron up the marble staircase.

“Well, look who’s here,” Blaise cried as they entered the warm common room. “We were beginning to think that you had forgotten where you lived.”

“Oh, ha, ha, Blaise,” Sarah said, pulling the taller boy into a hug and ruffling his short hair. “Missed you, too.”

“I’m serious,” he continued, grabbing her hand and swirling her around in a half-dance. “I’ve gone so long without looking at your beautiful face that I feared I had forgotten it.”

“Such a flirt, Blaise,” Sarah smiled. “Shame it will get you nowhere.” She planted a loud, smacking kiss on his cheek before skipping off, throwing herself onto the couch beside Millicent. “I’m guessing none of the girls he’s been chasing have taken the bait?”

Theo snorted and sat on the floor in front of her, leaning back against her legs. “He always comes running back with his tail between his legs.”

Draco settled on a cushion opposite Theo and began setting up a game of chess.

“That boy has too much confidence to be chasing girls three years above him,” he said, shaking his head.

“Really, Blaise? Sixth years?” Sarah said in exasperation.

“At least I’m making an effort,” Blaise remarked. “Unlike _some_ people…” He slanted his ebony eyes in Draco’s direction.

“Leave it, Blaise,” Draco cautioned.

“Oh, so you _have_ finally figured yourself out. I’m proud,” Blaise said.

“I said, leave it,” snapped Draco, fingers tightening on a bishop.

Blaise’s face fell from teasing to concerned. “I was just teasing. I’m sorry,” he said seriously.

Draco stood up. “I’m heading to bed. Goodnight.”

“I’ll go and check on him,” Sarah said after a moment, brushing a hand over Blaise’s shoulder at his downcast expression. “It’s not you, Blaise.”

Sarah walked carefully into Draco’s room and shut the door behind her. Crabbe and Goyle thankfully weren’t in the room. Draco had drawn the curtains around his bed.

“Draco?” she called, gingerly sitting on the edge of his bed. She drew back the curtains and found Draco’s pale face staring defiantly at the end of his bed, not meeting her eyes. “May I come in?”

Draco nodded and Sarah climbed onto the bed opposite him, sitting cross-legged as Draco copied her pose.

“Want to tell me what you’re thinking?” she asked gently.

Draco’s lips twitched up slightly.

“What?” Sarah said in confusion. “Did I say something funny?”

“No,” Draco said softly, “I asked Harry the same thing after he found out about Black. He said that no one had asked him that yet – always asking if he was okay.”

“Well, great minds think alike,” replied Sarah. “If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to.”

“I’m confused, Sarah,” confessed Draco. “I’m confused because – because I feel these _feelings_ but I know they’re wrong – that I shouldn’t feel them but – but – “

Sarah waited while he gathered his thoughts.

“It’s not proper,” he said, at last, looking extremely downcast. “I’m meant to marry and have an heir. I’m not meant to be feeling these things for a – for a _boy_.”

Draco’s shining mercurial eyes met hers.

“I don’t know what to do,” he whispered.

Sarah reached forward and grabbed his hand.

“Firstly, it’s not wrong to be feeling these things,” she said sternly. “Don’t let yourself believe that there is something wrong with you because you feel attracted to a boy instead of a girl.”

Draco’s eyes widened in worry.

“It’s _okay_ , Draco,” Sarah asserted. “I know you think you have to follow your father’s orders and be the perfect pureblood heir. But you _don’t_. You’re allowed to be happy – and if boys, if _Harry_ makes you happy, then why shouldn’t you be allowed to enjoy it?”

She began to rub circles on the back of Draco’s hands and his breathing began to ease.

“I did some reading a while ago,” she admitted. “When I first started to have my suspicions. And I found that there are multiple different options for same-sex couples when it comes to children. So, if in the future, you find yourself in a situation where you need an heir but can’t have one naturally…well, you have options.”

“You did research?” Draco sniffed, smiling slightly.

“I wanted to make sure I could help you however possible,” Sarah said, gripping his hands tighter. “I also did it for another friend, just in case.”

“What do you think I should do?” asked Draco quietly.

Sarah thought for a moment, absentmindedly tracing shapes on Draco’s skin.

“I think you should see where it goes,” she finally said. At his confused look, she elaborated, “I don’t think you should rush into anything. Harry is interested, anyone can see that.” She smiled slightly at Draco’s blush. “But I think that it would be most beneficial for both of you if you took the time to really learn what the other wants. There have been so many issues between all of us this year, that I think trying to move this – whatever it may be – any further, will be difficult.”

“How do I know he’s receptible?” Draco said, eyes gleaming.

Sarah smirked fondly. “You’re not my only best friend, remember?”

“So you think I should take a chance with him?” Draco concluded.

“I think you should take the time to accept yourself and each other,” Sarah corrected. “Start with talking, just the two of you – I’ll even occupy everyone else.”

Draco smiled gratefully and Sarah squeezed his hands.

“And if, for whatever reason, it doesn’t work out or nothing comes from it, I’ll always be here to support you,” she promised. “Even if it doesn’t end up the way you think it may, it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. I also don’t expect you to immediately dive into a relationship with anyone. Merlin knows we’re still a bit too young for that, despite Blaise’s opinions on the matter.”

Draco laughed wetly and rubbed his eyes.

“What about my father?” he said suddenly. “They’re no way he would accept me.”

“Fuck your father,” Sarah said to Draco’s surprise. “I know his approval means a lot to you but this is different – this is a fundamental part of you that you can’t change, and you shouldn’t have to – not for anybody. If he can’t accept that, then he doesn’t deserve your love. I know it will be hard but you will have me, your mother, your friends – people will love you no matter what.”

“I’m terrified,” Draco admitted weakly.

“I’d be surprised if you weren’t,” Sarah said with a smile. “But you’re not alone. Just remember that.”

“I love you, Sarah,” Draco said, pulling her into a hug.

“I love you too, Draco.”

They pulled away after a long while.

“Kitchens?” Sarah asked.

“Hot chocolate and treacle tart?” Draco said in excitement.

Sarah scrunched up her nose. “You can have the tart. I’ll be sophisticated and have a sundae, unlike you plebeian.”

Draco laughed and slapped her lightly, dragging her off to the kitchens.

***

The happy mood they had been in since their conversation wore off that weekend when, instead of going to Hogsmeade with everyone, Sarah and Draco decided to take some time to hang out together. Harry had gone back to Hogsmeade under his Invisibility Cloak, despite Draco and Sarah’s protests.

They had just finished a lovely picnic that the elves had packed when an owl appeared on the horizon, soaring over the glittering lake and landing in front of Sarah.

“It’s from Hagrid,” she told Draco, reading the letter. A cold feeling settled in her stomach as she turned toward Draco with wide eyes, tears beginning to form in them. “Buckbeak lost his case. The execution date is to be decided,” she whispered, wiping her eyes roughly.

“What?” Draco exclaimed in horror. He stood up and grabbed the letter, reading it through quickly before furiously scrunching it into a ball and throwing it into the lake. “ARGH! No!”

He sat down heavily and put his head in his hands.

“This is all my father’s fault,” he said miserably.

Sarah rubbed calmly circles onto his back and stared, unseeing, across the lake.

“We did everything we could,” she said simply. “Now we just have to be there for Hagrid.”

“Do you think Hermione knows?” Draco asked softly.

“I don’t know,” Sarah replied honestly. “Let’s go find her.”

They found Hermione sitting in a corridor near the Gryffindor common room. Her tear-streaked face looked up at their footsteps and she leapt to her feet, flinging her arms around them both.

“I was just about to come and find you!” she sobbed. “I can’t believe they lost!”

“Is there anything we can do?” Draco said helplessly. “Surely there must be an appeal – “

More footsteps cut them off and they turned to see a dejected Harry and Ron appear around the corner.

Ron’s face contorted into anger when he saw them.

“Come to have a good gloat?” said Ron savagely as the boys stopped in front of the trio. “Or have you just been to tell on us?”

“Ron, what on earth are you talking about?” Sarah exclaimed.

“No,” said Hermione, ignoring Sarah. She held the letter out to the boys, lip trembling. “I just thought you ought to know…Hagrid lost his case. Buckbeak is going to be executed.”


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may or may not be setting myself up for pain...

The new safety measures imposed on the students meant that the only chance they had of talking to Hagrid was during Care of Magical Creatures lessons.

He seemed numb with shock at the verdict.

“S’all my fault. Got all tongue-tied. They were all sittin’ there in black robes an’ I kep’ droppin’ me notes and forgettin’ all them dates yeh looked up fer me. An’ then Lucius Malfoy stood up an’ said his bit, and the Committee jus’ did exac’ly what he told ‘em…”

Draco looked more and more miserable as Hagrid spoke. He still believed that the entire thing was his fault.

“Hagrid, we’ll do everything we can,” Draco said. “There’s still the appeal. I’m not going to let my father take Buckbeak away from you.”

“S’no good, Draco,” said Hagrid sadly as they reached the castle steps. Hagrid had to escort them to and from lessons now. “That Committee’s in your father’s pocket. I’m jus’ gonna make sure the rest o’ Beaky’s time is the happiest he’s ever had. I owe him that…”

Hagrid turned around and hurried back toward his cabin, his face buried in his handkerchief.

“Look at him blubber!”

Crabbe and Goyle had been standing just inside the castle doors, listening.

“Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic?” said Crabbe. “And he’s supposed to be our teacher!”

Ron held Sarah back as she took a furious step toward Crabbe. She saw Harry holding Draco back as well, an arm wrapped tightly around his stomach. No one, however, was holding Hermione. She stepped forward and – SMACK!

She had slapped Crabbe across the face with all the strength she could muster. Crabbe staggered. Sarah, Draco, Harry, Ron, and Goyle stood flabbergasted as Hermione raised her hand again.

“Don’t you _dare_ call Hagrid pathetic, you foul – you evil – “

“Hermione!” said Ron weakly, releasing Sarah to grab Hermione’s hand as she swung it back.

“Get _off_ , Ron!”

Hermione pulled out her wand. Sarah laughed in delight as Crabbed hurriedly stepped backwards, then ran away, Goyle following in confusion.

“ _Hermione_!” Ron said again, sounding both stunned and impressed.

“That was _brilliant_!” Sarah exclaimed, giving Hermione a high five. “Oh, the look on his _face_!”

“We’re due in Charms,” said Ron, still goggling at Hermione. “We’d better go.”

They turned to hurry up the marble staircase, with Harry belatedly removing his arm from around Draco.

Muggle Studies brought another surprise.

“I dropped Divination,” Hermione announced as she took her seat.

Sarah and Draco stopped what they were doing and looked at the bushy-haired girl in shock.

“I’m sorry, you did _what_?” Sarah exclaimed.

“I dropped Divination,” Hermione repeated. “Professor Trelawny was going on again about the Grim and how my mind was ‘so hopelessly mundane’ and I just gave up – walked right out.”

“Hermione…” Draco said in awe.

“Hun, you are really on a roll today,” Sarah beamed at the other girl.

“Yes, well, I did miss Charms,” she muttered. “But thank you.”

***

The Easter holidays were not exactly relaxing. They had so much homework they had to compete. Pansy seemed close to a nervous collapse, and she wasn’t the only one.

“Call this a holiday!” Blaise roared at the common room one afternoon. “The exams are ages away, what’re they playing at?”

But nobody had as much to do as Sarah, Draco and Hermione. Sarah and Draco had now completely stopped going to Gryffindor Tower, instead sequestering themselves in the Slytherin common room where they knew they would be able to work without distractions. Pansy, Theo, Millicent and Blaise studied with them but always gave them lots of space. When they couldn’t deal with the extra people in the common room, they would move to the library and meet up with Hermione, who usually needed to get away from Harry and Ron.

To add to that, Marcus Flint had started demanding daily Quidditch practices to prepare for the upcoming Gryffindor-Slytherin match. Sarah had told Professor Lupin she couldn’t continue with Patronus lessons or she would collapse from sheer exhaustion.

“I don’t know how you’re doing it,” Theo whispered to her one night. She and Draco were neck-deep in books and notes and Theo had taken pity on her and was giving her a neck massage.

Sarah just grunted and relaxed her neck further when Theo rubbed on a tight knot in the muscle.

“If you’re not careful, you’re going to burn yourselves out,” he warned.

“The workload was fine before,” muttered Sarah, trying to write at the same time. “It’s just all the extra Quidditch practice. We come back completely exhausted.”

“At least after this match, you won’t have to worry about it anymore,” Theo offered, gently taking the quill from between Sarah’s fingers and placing it on the table. “Just relax for a bit. Look – even Draco’s fallen asleep.”

It was true. Draco had fallen fast asleep on top of a pile of books, his quill still dangling from his long fingers. Sarah sighed and leant back into Theo’s legs, enjoying the sensation of the massage.

“Just relax, Sarah,” Theo whispered as her eyes began to close.

But relaxing was the last thing on Sarah’s mind as the match drew closer. Draco, in particular, constantly found himself on the other end of Marcus Flint’s morning tirades.

“We’re ahead by two hundred points,” Flint said. “That means you _need_ to catch the Snitch early. You can’t let them get ahead by fifty points – if they do and Potter catches the Snitch, we lose. Did you hear me? You must catch the Snitch early – “

“I KNOW, FLINT!” Draco yelled.

Heads turned towards the Slytherin table at Draco’s outburst.

“I know you’re cosy with those Gryffindors,” Flint continued, unperturbed, “but I expect us to win. No exceptions.”

Draco just groaned and dropped his head to the table.

***

Sarah, Draco and the rest of the Slytherin team entered the Great Hall the next day to a mixed reception. The Slytherins and some Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs cheered, but most students booed loudly at them.

“Oh grow up!” Sarah shouted to a group of booing Gryffindors.

Harry stood up from his table to meet them.

“Good luck today, guys,” he said.

Draco nodded, looking slightly ill.

“I honestly don’t know how they expect me to beat you,” Draco whispered so that only the three of them could hear him.

“Just think of it as any other game,” Harry said, smiling. “You’ve never passed up a challenge before.”

“And he won’t start now,” said Sarah sternly. “Play as well as you usually do and don’t get hurt. If I see one of you not attached to your broom, I’ll kill you.”

Harry laughed and ruffled Sarah’s hair.

“That’s the spirit, Sarah,” he said brightly. He turned to Draco and held the boy’s silver gaze. “You’re an amazing player, Draco. There’s no one else I’d rather be versing.”

Draco blushed slightly but smiled, his shoulders relaxing.

“You guys are just too cute,” Sarah cooed. “Come on, I’m starving.”

As the teams left the Great Hall, everyone applauded.

“Good luck, Harry!” called Cho Chang, the pretty Fifth-year Ravenclaw Seeker who seemed to have set her eyes upon Harry.

Harry grimaced slightly but waved politely.

Draco’s face turned into a sneer which was quickly wiped off when Harry grabbed with hand and squeezed it before the teams parted ways.

“I’ll see you on the pitch,” Harry said to them both, smiling before running after his team.

“Now,” Flint said once they were in the locker rooms. “We have to put as many Quaffles through those hoops as we possibly can. Deaumont, Pucey – I don’t care how we do it, just don’t let them get that Quaffle. Malfoy, you get that Snitch, you hear me? I don’t care if Potter’s your boyfriend, you push him off his broom if you have to. If I found out you throw this game for us, I will personally make sure you never play Quidditch again.”

“Oi!” Sarah said loudly. “Harry being our friend has never messed with our ability to play Quidditch before. We want to win just as much as you do.”

“I’ll do everything to get that Snitch,” Draco said seriously. “I’m not letting Harry get it without a fight.”

“Good,” Flint smiled cruelly. “That’s what I want to hear. Time to go.”

They emerged onto the pitch to a cacophony of boos and cheers. The Gryffindors were already on the pitch and Harry waved at them before becoming serious again.

“Captains, shake hands!” said Madam Hooch.

Flint and Wood approached each other and grasped each other’s hand very tightly; it looked as though each was trying to break the other’s fingers.

“Mount your brooms!” said Madam Hooch. “Three…two…one…”

The sound of her whistle was lost in the roar of the crows as fourteen brooms rose into the air. Sarah felt the wind whip her braid through the air as she immediately grabbed the Quaffle from the air, shooting down the pitch.

“And its Slytherin in possession. Sarah Deaumont of Slytherin with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Gryffindor goalposts – Quaffle intercepted by Alicia Spinnet – WHAM! – Bludger to the back from Warrington, Spinnet drops the Quaffle, it’s caught by – Pucey, who passes to Deaumont, who swerves around George Weasley trying to shoot a Bludger her way – impressive flying, that one – she passes to Flint who drops it from a Bludger from Fred – Johnson catches it and turns around but’s cut off by a Bludger from Bole – Deaumont grabs the Quaffle and is off – SHE SCORES! TEN-ZERO TO SLYTHERIN!”

Sarah punched the air but is nearly thrown off her broom when Alicia Spinnet smashes into her.

“I’m so sorry!” Alicia called worriedly, flying close to help Sarah. “I really didn’t see you!”

Madam Hooch still had to call a penalty for Slytherin, to the disappointment of the crowd.

Sarah flew forward to take the penalty and feinted to the right before throwing to the far left. Wood had veered right before correcting but still just missed the Quaffle as it soared through the hoop. Cheers erupted from the Slytherin stands and play continued.

“Gryffindor in possession, no Slytherin in possession – no! Gryffindor back in possession – and Johnson SCORES! – TWENTY-TEN TO SLYTHERIN! Quaffle to Pucey – passes to Deaumont – who passes to Flint – intercepted by Katie Bell, who takes a Bludger to the leg, causing her to drop it – Pucey catches it – no, it’s taken by Johnson – Oh! That was a close Bludger from Warrington, watch out Angelina – and possession back to Bell who gets it past Bletchley! GRYFFINDOR SCORES!”

Sarah took a moment to breathe as the Gryffindor stands erupted into cheers. The teams were tied now and she saw Draco looking carefully for the Snitch. She dove back into play as the whistle blew and caught the Quaffle that Pucey passed her, flattening close to her broom to speed between the players. Just as she was reaching the other end of the pitch, a Bludger appeared out of nowhere and smashed into her arm, causing her to cry out and drop the Quaffle.

“Sarah!” she heard Draco call from above.

“Forget about me, look for the Snitch!” she shouted back.

She held her broken arm close to her body and tried to focus on the game.

Gryffindor had scored again causing them to pull ahead of Slytherin. But then Flint got the Quaffle and put it past Wood, evening the score again. Lee Jordan swore so badly that Professor McGonagall tried to tug the magical megaphone away from him.

Despite her best efforts, Sarah just couldn’t play to her usual level. Her arm was throbbing and causing the edges of her vision to blur whenever she caught the Quaffle one-handed. Adrian Pucey helped her as much as he could, appearing beside her so she could deposit the Quaffle into his hands.

It was turning into the dirtiest game Sarah had ever played in. Bole hit Alicia with his club and tried to say he’d thought she was a Bludger. George Weasley elbowed Bole in the face in retaliation. Madam Hooch gave both teams penalties, but Wood saved it while Bletchley missed it.

At one point, Sarah saw Harry and Draco both drop into a spectacular dive before evening out, both looking annoyed.

Katie Bell scored again, causing the stands to erupt in renewed cheers. Play continued to get dangerous with Gryffindor slowly pulling ahead.

“Get your shit together Deaumont!” Warrington growled at one point. “Or I’ll put you out of action!”

Adrian watched her worriedly as she slowly paled further due to the pain in her arm but Sarah kept going, pushing through the pain and grabbing and throwing the Quaffle with her left hand. She missed a goal at one point and Warrington snapped, veering directly into her and colliding painfully with her broken arm, causing her to scream and tilt off her broom. She fell for a second before strong arms caught her, holding her tightly.

“TIMEOUT!”

A whistle blew as Sarah passed out from the pain.

A few moments later she opened her eyes and turned over, throwing up on the field.

“Steady there,” Fred Weasley said, holding her hair back. “I can’t believe Warrington hit you.”

“Put a Bludger through his head and I’ll be eternally grateful,” she groaned, sitting up against Fred as Madam Pomfrey rushed over.

“Here dear,” said the nurse, waving her wand over Sarah’s swollen, blackened arm. “This will help for now but you come straight up to the hospital wing once the game’s over, okay?”

Sarah nodded and sighed in relief as the pain in her arm lessened. She moved in experimentally and found that whilst it still hurt, it was bearable. She could hear Madam Hooch and Draco shouting at Warrington not too far away.

“Did you catch me?” Sarah asked, accepting Fred’s hand to stand up.

“Of course,” he replied with a crooked smile. “Couldn’t just let you fall to your death. Draco would have my balls.”

Sarah laughed and grabbed her broom.

“Let’s keep playing.”

Cheers exploded from the stand once Sarah was back in the air. She signalled to Madam Hooch that everything was good to go and Madam Hooch blew the whistle again.

Despite her renewed energy, Sarah, Adrian and Flint just couldn’t catch up to the Gryffindors and they pulled ahead by fifty points. Sarah saw Flint looking murderously at Draco, who suddenly shot into a steep dive.

Everyone stood up in the stands as Harry saw Draco and dropped into a dive as well. The two Seekers were neck and neck, but with Harry’s Firebolt, he was a fraction of a second faster than Draco. Draco had flattened as close to his broom as he could and reached out a long arm. Harry was immediately beside him, his own arm reaching out as their fingers battled for those last few centimetres. Then Harry knocked Draco’s hand out of the way and –

“YES!”

They pulled out of their dive as Harry held up the Snitch and the stadium exploded. Sarah flew toward them as Draco grabbed Harry in a bone-crushing hug and whispered something in his ear that Sarah couldn’t hear.

“YOU DID IT!” Sarah screamed and ignoring the pain lingering in her arm, drew both boys into a tight hug.

Then Wood was speeding toward them, half-blinded by tears; he seized Harry around the neck and sobbed unrestrainedly into his shoulder, causing Sarah and Draco to let go. They flew back a bit to let the rest of the Gryffindor team celebrate. Before they go too far, Fred had grabbed Sarah and George grabbed Draco and drew them both in. The massive group sank back to earth, yelling hoarsely.

Wave upon wave of crimson supporters was pouring over the barriers onto the field. Then the Gryffindor team was hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd. Draco led Sarah out of the crowd when she stumbled suddenly, the painkiller finally wearing off. She leant against the side of the stands and beamed as she watched the Gryffindor team be carried toward where Dumbledore stood waiting with the enormous Quidditch Cup. Percy Weasley was jumping up and down like a maniac, all dignity forgotten. Professor McGonagall was sobbing harder even than Wood, wiping her eyes with an enormous Gryffindor flag. Sarah felt her smile widen when Harry looked their way and held up the cup, positively glowing with happiness.

“Draco, I hate to spoil the mood,” Sarah mumbled with a voice made croaky by pain. The blond turned to her in confusion. “But I’m going to pass out.”

And then she collapsed to the ground.

***

Sarah awoke to loud snoring.

She was in the hospital wing, _again_ , and sitting beside her bed was Fred Weasley, fast asleep, head resting flat on the edge of the bed.

Sarah sat up slightly and poked his shoulder, causing him to grunt but not wake up. So she pushed him off the bed.

“What the _fuck_!” Fred exclaimed as he picked himself off the floor.

“Good, you’re awake,” she said calmly. “Can you get me some water, please? My throat’s killing me.”

Fred handed her a glass of water, grumbling under his breath.

“How long have I been out?” Sarah asked when she was finished.

“All afternoon and most of the night,” replied Fred, settling with a groan back in the chair. “I kicked your boy Draco out to get some sleep – poor snake was ready to collapse himself. Good ole Harry had to practically drag the tired sod out by his ear.”

“I’m not surprised,” said Sarah. “But why are you here?”

“Well, it was my fault you got a concussion,” he revealed. “I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I got a concussion?” Sarah said in surprise. “No wonder I passed out.”

“Yeah, Pomfrey was amazed you continued playing as long as you did. You shouldn’t have been able to balance, it was that bad.”

“I did feel like shit by the end of it,” she admitted. “Thanks for staying.”

“Anytime, little snake,” Fred grinned.

“I’m not so little anymore,” she grouched, crossing her arms over her chest. Thankfully, her broken arm had been completely healed and was now pain-free.

“You’ll always be a little snake to me,” Fred said with a soft smile, causing Sarah, for some unknown reason, to blush.

“Were you planning on sleeping there all night?” She asked, pushing down the weird feeling in her chest.

“Actually, Pomfrey kicked me out about four hours ago,” Fred smirked. “But I promised Draco I’d keep an eye on you, so here I am.”

“My very own knight in shining armour,” Sarah rolled her eyes.

“Oi! Be thankful, this chair is horrible for good posture – I’m going to be cracking all day.”

“Did Pomfrey mention when I’ll be allowed to leave?”

“If you don’t have a headache and everything seems fine, then tomorrow,” Fred said, leaning back in his chair.

Sarah observed him for a moment. “You know, it’s odd seeing you without your brother.”

Fred raised a dark eyebrow. Somehow, the twins had gotten slightly darker hair than their siblings, more a light auburn than bright ginger. Sarah felt herself staring and looked away.

“It’s odd when people are able to tell us apart,” Fred countered.

“It’s not that difficult when you make the effort,” muttered Sarah.

Fred positively beamed at her. “That’s why you’re my favourite snake.”

“Draco can tell you apart.”

“Yes, but Draco also calls us the twin terrors to avoid getting us mixed up by accident.”

“Well, a true Slytherin does know when to choose their battles,” Sarah smirked.

“So how’d you miss out on that trait?” Fred teased, causing Sarah to burst into quiet giggles.

Surprisingly enough, the pair of them talked well into the early morning, only stopping when Madam Pomfrey woke up and spotted Fred sitting at her bedside. Sarah was still laughing on the way down to breakfast as she recalled the fiery way the nurse had shooed Fred out of the infirmary, wand raised high above her head.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Exams were nearly upon them, and instead of lazing around outside in the cloudless and sultry sunlight, students were forced to remain inside the castle, trying to bully their brains into concentrating while enticing wafts of summer air drifted in through the windows. Even Fred and George were working; they were about to take their O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels). Percy was getting ready to take his N.E.W.T.s (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests), the highest qualification Hogwarts offered.

After their conversation in the hospital wing, Sarah began to spend more time with the twins. She and Draco usually found themselves at the same table in the library with the pair, four heads buried in books. Draco had smirked widely at her when Sarah had told him the reasoning behind the new development.

“You like him,” he teased, smiling widely.

“I’ve always liked the twins,” she countered. “But I haven’t been able to get to know them as well as I hoped.”

“Yes,” Draco said in exasperation. “But you _like_ Fred. And he likes you, too.”

Sarah had blushed and told him to shut up.

To make matter worse, Hagrid had sent a note telling them that an executioner was coming along to Buckbeak’s appeal, proving that the Committee had already made up their mind – Buckbeak was going to be executed.

Draco dove into his word with renewed vigour to fight against the guilt he felt surrounding Buckbeak’s inevitable execution. He had sent numerous owls to Hagrid apologising, only for the man to come up to Draco during Care of Magical Creatures and engulf him in a rib-cracking hug. Draco had also sent his father a fair few angrily worded owls but had gotten no reply.

“He’s going to be so pissed at you,” Sarah warned as Draco finished his most recent letter to his father.

Fred and George looked up in interest from their texts as Draco signed the parchment with a vicious flourish.

“I honestly couldn’t care less,” Draco said calmly. “If he’s heartless enough to condemn an innocent animal to its death then he bloody well deserves these letters.”

Sarah just rolled her eyes at him.

***

Exam week began and an unnatural hush fell over the castle. The third years emerged from Transfiguration at lunchtime on Monday, limp and ashen-faced, comparing results and bemoaning the difficulty of the tasks they had been set, which had included turning a teapot into a tortoise. Sarah was extremely pleased with her final product, while Draco grumbled along that his looked more like a turtle than a tortoise.

Draco and Hermione had to use the Time-Turner to go back and complete their Arithmancy exams.

Then, after a hasty lunch, it was straight back upstairs for the Charms exam. Professor Flitwick tested them on Cheering Charms. Draco was bursting with joy at his perfect spell, although that might have also been a result of Sarah’s slightly too strong charm. Regardless, they both knew that had passed with flying colours, something that helped calmed them when they went back an hour to do their Ancient Runes exam. This was the exam Sarah was most confident in. While Hermione and Draco complained that they had messed up one of their translations, Sarah was happily digging into her dinner as she asked Fred how his exams went. After dinner, Sarah and Draco said goodbye to the Gryffindors and joined their fellow Slytherins in studying Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, and Astronomy.

Hagrid presided over the easiest Care of Magical Creatures exam ever. He had provided a large tub of fresh flobberworms and told them that to pass the test, their flobberworms had to still be alive by the end of the hour. It gave Sarah and the others the ability to talk to Hagrid about Buckbeak as they left their flobberworms to their own devices.

They had Potions that afternoon, which Draco came out of beaming. Then came Astronomy at midnight, up on the tallest tower; History of Magic on Wednesday morning, in which Sarah scribbled everything Florean Fortescue had ever told her and Harry about medieval witch-hunts. Wednesday afternoon meant Herbology, in the greenhouses under the baking hot sun; then back to the common room once more, with sunburnt necks, thinking longingly of this time next day, when it would all be over.

Their second to last exam, on Thursday morning, was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had compiled the most unusual exam any of them had ever taken: a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where they had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish their way across a patch of marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with a new boggart.

“Excellent, Sarah,” Lupin muttered as Sarah climbed out of the trunk, grinning. “Full marks.”

Sarah had been prepared for her boggart this time and didn’t hesitate with casting the spell. She joined Draco and Theo, who had done just as well as she did, and watched as Pansy, Harry, Ron and Blaise completed the course. Millicent came to stand next to them as they watched Ron become confused by the hinkypunk, sinking waist-high into the quagmire.

“Pumpkin Pasty?” Milli offered, holding out a bag of the pasties.

Sarah was just reaching for one when Hermione burst out of the trunk, screaming.

“Hermione!” said Lupin, startled. “What’s the matter?”

“P-P-Professor McGonagall!” Hermione gasped, pointing into the trunk. “Sh-she said I’d failed everything!”

It took a little while to calm Hermione down. When at last she had regained a grip on herself, she, Harry, Ron, Draco and Sarah went back to the castle. Ron was still slightly inclined to laugh at Hermione’s boggart, but an argument was averted by the sight that met them on top of the steps.

Cornelius Fudge, sweating slightly in his pinstriped cloak, was standing there staring out at the grounds. He started at the sight of Harry before his gaze swept to Sarah and Draco.

“Hello there, Harry! Oh, and Miss Deaumont and Mr Malfoy!” he said. “Just had an exam, I suppose? Nearly finished?”

“Yes,” said Harry.

“Lovely day,” said Fudge, casting an eye over the lake. “Pity…pity…”

“Minister?” Draco said, stepping forward and slipping into his ‘polite pureblood’ mask. “If I may? Are you here for the hippogriff’s appeal?”

“Indeed I am, young Mr Malfoy,” Fudge said, wiping the sweat off his brow. “It was such a shame to hear you were injured. Your father did the right thing, bringing it to the attention of the Committee. We can’t have dangerous beasts running around can we!”

Fudge seemed to realise that the students did not hold the same enthusiasm he did and he coughed awkwardly.

“With all due respects, Minister,” Draco continued politely. “It was actually a student who caused the accident. Buckbeak was simply defending himself and Sarah and unfortunately, I got in the crossfire – that was entirely my own fault, though.”

Sarah kept a neutral expression on her face as Draco spun the story for the Minister.

“It’s true, Minister,” she said with a bright smile. “Draco wasn’t even injured that badly. Madam Pomfrey fixed him right up. Buckbeak never would have scratched Draco if the student hadn’t insulted him in an aggressive manner.”

Fudge looked at the pair of them in stunned silence. He took off his green bowler hat and began spinning it on his hand absentmindedly. “Well, be that as it may, the hippogriff is still mad and a danger to anyone it encounters. As I was visiting Hogwarts already, I was asked to step in as a witness for the execution.”

“But Minister, my father was lying to the Committee,” Draco appealed. “The hippogriff is not mad – in fact, I have had many encounters with him and he behaves admirably.”

“That is a serious accusation, Mr Malfoy,” Fudge spluttered, blotches of red appearing on his face. “Your father is acting with your best interests – “

“Mr Fudge,” Draco smoothly interrupted. “You wouldn’t put down a dog for biting after it was poked by a stick, would you?” Draco didn’t wait for more than Fudge’s stunned gaping before continuing. “In this manner, Buckbeak should not be executed for an _accident_ , one that could have happened with _any_ creature. I did not press charges, and as I am the person who was injured, I believe that my opinion on this matter should have been taken into consideration. I plead that you think about what I have said, Minister, for your actions today may have future consequences none of us are even aware of.”

Fudge stood in shocked silence just gaping at Draco.

“Good day, Minister,” Sarah said with a winning smile.

She threaded her arm through Draco’s and calmly began walking back into the entrance hall. She felt more than saw the others fall into step behind her, each nodding politely at the Minister.

“Do you think that made any difference?” Ron asked nervously when they entered the Great Hall for lunch.

“Honestly?” Draco said. “No. I think my father has too much control over the Committee and the Minister.” He looked sadly toward the entrance. “But at least I tried.”

“You did everything you can,” Sarah said soothingly, placing a hand on her best friend’s arm.

Sarah, Draco and Hermione’s last exam was Muggle Studies. They waved goodbye to the Gryffindor boys before heading to the first floor. The exam went quickly – Sarah was thinking too much about Buckbeak to really focus on what she was writing. When it finally ended, the three of them raced up to Gryffindor Tower. Ron and Harry hadn’t yet returned from their exam so they sat in a corner, talking in harsh whispers. They were interrupted by pecking at the window. A school owl was standing proudly on the windowsill. Draco let the owl in and accepted the letter tied to its leg. He scanned through it quickly before dropping it to the table.

“Buckbeak lost,” he said in a pained voice, his face chalk white. “They’re executing him at sundown.”

“We have to go – “

“Hagrid doesn’t want us to see it,” Draco interrupted, grabbing Sarah to keep her seated. “We have to wait until the other’s get here.”

“Then what?”

“Then we use Harry’s cloak and we go down anyway.”

“But Harry’s cloak is still behind the one-eyed witch statue,” Hermione pointed out. “He left it there when Lupin took the map off him.”

“Damn, I’d forgotten about that,” Sarah said. “Did he drop leave it in the tunnel before Snape caught him?”

“Apparently.”

“If Snape sees him anywhere near there, he’s going to be in so much trouble,” Draco voiced.

“Yes, if he sees _Harry_ ,” Hermione said, standing up. “How do you open the statue?”

***

By the time Ron and Harry had returned to the common room, the latter extremely pale, Hermione had retrieved the Invisibility Cloak and updated the boys on the situation.

They went to dinner with everybody else but did not return to their common rooms afterwards. Harry had the cloak hidden down the front of his robes; Sarah couldn’t help laughing every time she saw him awkwardly folding his arms to keep the lump hidden.

They skulked in an empty chamber until the entrance hall was deserted. They heard a last group of people hurrying across the hall and a door slamming. Hermione poked her head around the door.

“Okay,” she whispered, “no one there – cloak on – “

It was a very tight fit. The fact that the three boys had grown taller throughout the year didn’t help. Sarah and Hermione had to awkwardly hunch in front of their bodies and lead them to ensure that everyone’s feet were covered.

“This is going to be such a pain when we get older,” Sarah hissed as they carefully made their way across the grounds.

“Shhh!”

They reached Hagrid’s cabin and knocked. He was a minute in answering, and when he did, he looked all around for his visitor, pale-faced and trembling.

“It’s us,” Harry hissed. “We’re wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off.”

“Yeh shouldn’ve come!” Hagrid whispered, but he stood back. They tumbled into the warm cabin and Sarah threw the cloak off in relief.

“Honestly, we have to learn how to Disillusion ourselves,” Sarah muttered, stretching up and hearing her back pop. “You boy take up too much space.”

They all crowded around Hagrid’s giant form and tried to calm him down while he failed to make tea. Hermione took over and Hagrid told them that Dumbledore was going to come down as well. He was interrupted by a loud screech.

“Ron!” I – I don’t believe it – it’s _Scabbers!_ ”

Ron gaped at her.

“What are you talking about?”

Hermione carried a milk jug over and titled it until the thin, decrepit rat fell out.

“Ron, mate, he’s not looking too good,” Harry said, poking Scabbers lightly.

Ron snatched up the struggling rat, whose hair had fallen out in large patches, leaving large bald spots.

“They’re comin’…” Hagrid said suddenly, his face the colour of parchment.

The five of them hurriedly wrapped themselves in the cloak and with last hopeful utterances, set off toward the castle. They started up the sloping lawn. The sun was sinking fast now; the sky had turned to a clear, purple-tinged grey, but to the west, there was a ruby-red glow.

Ron stopped dead.

“Oh, please, Ron, I don’t want to hear it,” Hermione began.

“It’s Scabbers – he won’t – stay put – “

Ron was bent over in the small space, trying to keep Scabbers in his pocket, but the rat was going berserk.

They heard the door to Hagrid’s cabin open and kept walking, Ron fighting desperately with the frenzied rat. The rat was squealing wildly, but not wildly enough cover up the sounds drifting from Hagrid’s garden. There was a jumble of indistinct male voices, a silence, and then, without warning, the unmistakable swish and thud of an axe.

Hermione swayed on the spot.

Sarah wrapped herself tightly around Draco’s chest and felt hot tears land on her head.

“They did it,” Draco whispered into the stunned silence. “I d-don’t believe it – they did it!”


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Sarah’s mind had gone blank with shock. They stood there as the very last rays of the setting sun cast a bloody light over the long-shadowed grounds.

“Come on,” Sarah said, at last, her voice flat and emotionless. “We have to go.”

Draco stumbled beside her and Harry put his arm around him, holding the other boy steady.

Ron was still struggling with Scabbers when suddenly the rat bit him and dropped to the ground, racing off into the night. Ron shouted and flung the cloak off himself, running after his rat.

A small, dark shape pounded in front of him.

“Is – is that – _Crookshanks_?” Hermione gasped in shock.

“Ron!” Harry called, breaking out into a sprint.

The other three followed him quickly. Sarah barely managed to hold onto the cloak as it streamed behind them like a banner.

They could hear Ron thundering along ahead of them and his shouts at Crookshanks.

“Get away from him – get away – Scabbers, come _here_ – “

There was a loud thud.

“ _Gotcha_!” Get off, you stinking cat – “

They nearly fell over Ron; they skidded to a stop right in front of him. He was sprawled on the ground, but Scabbers was back in his pocket; he had both hands held tight over the quivering lump.

“Ron – come on – back under the cloak – “ Hermione panted. “Dumbledore – the Minister – they’ll be coming back out in a minute – “

“I’m surprised they didn’t hear the shouting,” Draco said, straightening to look around. He suddenly froze stock still.

“Draco, what – ?”

Harry was cut off by the soft pounding of gigantic paws…Something was bounding toward them out of the dark – an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog.

Sarah reached for her wand but it was too late – the dog had made an enormous leap and the front paws hit Harry on the chest; he kneeled over backwards in a whirl of hair as Sarah, Draco and Hermione screamed. But the force of the leap had carried the dog too far; it rolled off Harry and skidded around for a new attack.

When the dog sprang back toward them, Ron pushed Harry out of way and the dog’s jaws fastened around Ron’s outstretched arms. Sarah and the others leapt forward as the dog began to drag Ron away like a rag doll, but something hit the four of them so hard across the chest that they were knocked off their feet.

“ _Lumos!”_

Draco’s wand lit up, revealing the trunk of a thick tree.

“It’s the Whomping Willow!” Harry shouted, wiping blood off his face.

“Move!” Sarah screamed, jumping and pushing Hermione down when a massive branch swung out of the darkness and slammed into the ground.

The tree’s branches were whipping around violently, stopping from them getting nearer. At the base of the trunk was a large gap in the roots – Ron was fighting furiously with the dog still dragging him away. Soon, all that was left was one leg, hooked around a root in an attempt to slow the dog down. But a horrible crack cut the air like a gunshot and Sarah cringed; Ron’s leg had broken and a moment later, he vanished completely.

“If that dog can get in, we can,” Harry panted, lighting his wand and darting here and there, trying to find a way through the vicious, swishing branches.

Sarah and Hermione followed his lead and lit their wands, eyeing the tree with trepidation.

Crookshanks darted forward. He slithered between the battering branches like a snake and placed his front paws upon a knot on the trunk.

Abruptly, as though the tree had been turned to marble, it stopped moving. Not a leaf twitched or shook.

“Crookshanks!” Hermione whispered uncertainly. “How did he know - ?”

“Doesn’t matter now,” Sarah said, spitting out some blood from her split lip. One of the branches has slashed quite painfully over her face. “We have to go.”

She rushed forward and slung herself through the gap in the roots. She slid down an earthy slope and found herself in a very low tunnel. Seconds later she was joined by Draco, then Harry, and finally Hermione.

“Where does this come out?” Draco asked quietly, grasping Sarah’s free hand tightly in his own.

“I don’t know…” Harry said. “It’s marked on the map but it goes off the edge – it must end up in Hogsmeade.”

After a long while, the tunnel began to rise and they soon found themselves in a very disordered, dusty room. Paper was peeling from the walls; there were stains all over the floor; every piece of furniture was broken as though somebody had smashed it. The windows were all boarded up.

“I think we’re in the Shrieking Shack,” Draco whispered.

At that moment, there was a creak overhead. Something had moved upstairs. Quietly as they could, they crept out into the hall and up the crumbling staircase. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust except the floor, where a wide shiny stripe had been made by something being dragged upstairs.

They reached the dark landing.

 _“Nox,_ ” they whispered together, and the lights of their wands extinguished.

As they crept toward the only open door, a low groan emitted from the room, followed closely by a deep, loud purring.

Wands held tightly in front of them, they stepped carefully into the room, looking around. Harry, Hermione and Draco were immediately distracted by the sight of Ron clutching his leg on a magnificent four-poster bed with dusty hangings. Crookshanks was lying nearby, purring loudly at the sight of them.

Sarah, however, being the last one through the door, found herself face-to-face with a living corpse. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the waxy skin, sunken eyes, filthy matted hair, and yellow teeth bared in a sharp grin. It was Sirius Black.

“ _Expelliarmus!_ ” he croaked, pointing Ron’s wand at them. At the same time that their wands flew over to him, Black reached out a skeletal arm and gripped Sarah’s wrist firmly, drawing her tightly toward him and pointing a wand at her head.

Black’s eyes were fixed on Harry, whose face had lost all its colour. Draco’s fists were clasped tightly by his side and his silver eyes were wide. He was barely breathing.

“Let – go – of – me!” Sarah snarled as she struggled in Black’s surprisingly strong grip.

“Not until we’ve all had a little talk,” Black croaked. His grip lessened enough that it didn’t feel bruising anymore. “I thought you’d come and help your friend. James would have done the same for me. I’m grateful you didn’t have for a teacher…it will make everything much easier…”

Harry’s green eyes were blazing with an internal fire. He took a step forward and was immediately grabbed by Hermione and Draco. Ron stood up and spoke to Black.

“If you want to kill Harry, you’ll have to kill us too!” he said fiercely, though the effort of standing upright was draining him of still more colour, and he swayed slightly as he spoke.

Something flickered in Black’s shadowed eyes.

“Lie down,” he said quietly to Ron. “You will damage that leg even more.”

“Did you hear me?” Ron said weakly, though he was clinging to Draco to stay upright. “You’ll have to kill all of us!”

“They’ll only be one murder here tonight,” said Black and his grin widened.

Sarah was shaking violently from a mixture of fear and anger in Black’s grip. She tried wrenching herself free again but Black held firm.

“Why’s that?” Harry spat, struggling against Hermione and Draco’s grips. Draco wrapped an arm firmly around Harry’s own and Harry relaxed fractionally. But his eyes were still a fiery green that shone out clearly in the dark room. “Didn’t care last time, did you? Didn’t mind slaughtering all those muggles to get at Pettigrew…What’s the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?”

“Harry!” Hermione whimpered. “Be quiet!”

“HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!” Harry roared, finally breaking free of Draco and Hermione’s restraint and lunging forward.

Black, in his surprise, let go of Sarah and pushed her out of the way as Harry collided with him, slamming a fist against the side of Black’s head.

Draco darted forward and pulled Sarah over to them as Ron collapsed back on the bed, his face tinged green. Hermione was screaming; there was a blinding flash as the wands in Black’s hand sent a jet of sparks into the air that missed Harry’s face by inches. Then Black’s free hand found Harry’s throat –

“No,” he hissed, “I’ve waited too long – “

Harry began to choke, his glasses askew.

Draco let out a growl and leapt forward, swinging his foot at Black. Sarah joined in and threw herself at Black, shoving him away as Draco pulled Harry to his feet. From the corner of her eye, she saw Harry grab his wand and point it at Black but before she could move, Black grabbed her arms and held them at her side, restraining her. Harry faltered, his wand lowering slightly.

“Let her go,” he hissed at Black.

“Going to kill me, Harry?” Black whispered.

“You killed my parents,” said Harry, his voice shaking slightly, but he pulled his wand back up high.

Sarah leant to the side as much as she could, forcing Black to overbalance and release her. She jumped to Harry’s side and picked her own wand off the floor, pointing it at Black’s sunken faces.

“I don’t deny it,” Black said very quietly when he had recovered his footing. “But if you knew the whole story – “

“The whole story?” Harry repeated furiously. “You sold them to Voldemort. That’s all I need to know.”

“You’ve got to listen to me,” Black said, and there was a note of urgency in his voice now. “You’ll regret it if you don’t…You don’t understand…”

“We know what happened,” Sarah said, her voice strong despite the shivers still wracking her body. “Lupin told us you were the Potter’s Secret-Keeper – but you betrayed them.”

“You don’t understand…” Black repeated, his breathing becoming shallow. Crookshanks suddenly leapt onto his chest and dug his claws in, turning to face Harry and Sarah with his ugly-squished face.

Sarah looked between Harry and Draco beside her; they looked as convicted as she felt. She didn’t want to hurt an unarmed man, especially if there was something they didn’t know.

And then came a new sound in the silence –

Muffled footsteps were echoing up through the floor – someone was moving downstairs.

“WE’RE UP HERE!” Hermione screamed suddenly. “WE’RE UP HERE – SIRIUS BLACK – _QUICK_!”

Black made a startled movement that almost dislodged Crookshanks; Sarah gripped her wand tighter and turned toward the door to see if burst open in a shower of red sparks. Professor Lupin came hurtling into the room, his face bloodless and Sarah nearly sobbed in relief.

“Professor Lupin,” she gasped, lowering her wand despite Harry’s hiss. “Something’s not right.”

He stared at her for a moment before disarming everyone, their wands flying into Lupin’s waiting hands.

“You’re right,” Lupin said to Sarah, stepping beside her and looking down at Black. “Where is he, Sirius?”

“Where’s who?” asked Sarah, looking around in confusion.

The adults ignored her. Black’s face was quite expressionless. For a few seconds, he didn’t move at all. Then, very slowly, he raised his empty hand and pointed straight at Ron. Mystified, Sarah glanced around at Ron, who looked bewildered and was still struggling to contain Scabbers.

“But then…” Lupin muttered, staring at Black so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind. “…Why hasn’t he shown himself before now? Unless” – Lupin’s eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond Black, something none of the rest could see – “unless _he_ was the one…unless you switched…without telling me?”

Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Lupin’s face, Black nodded.

“Switched?” Draco asked suddenly, grey eyes darting between Lupin and Black.

“Professor,” Sarah had a sudden thought. “How did you know we were here? Unless…the Map? You know how to work the Map?”

Professor Lupin turned to her and nodded slightly and then lowered his wand, gazed fixed on Black. Then he walked to Black’s side, seized his hand, pulled him to his feet so that Crookshanks fell to the floor, and embraced Black tightly.

“I DON’T BELIEVE IT!” Hermione screamed.

Lupin let go of Black and turned to her. She had raised herself off the floor and was pointing at Lupin, wild-eyed. “You – you – “

“Hermione, stop,” Sarah said, ignoring the look of betrayed confusion Harry sent her.

“Hermione – “ Lupin began.

“ – you and him!” spluttered Hermione.

“Hermione, calm down – “

“I didn’t tell anyone!” Hermione shrieked. “I’ve been covering up for you – “

“Hermione, please, _please_ stop!” Sarah begged, stepping toward the other girl. “Please don’t!”

“Sarah, how can you just stand there?” Hermione shouted. “Did you _know_?”

“Yes, I knew!” exclaimed Sarah. “Hermione, I’m _begging_ you – “

“NO!” Hermione screamed. “I trusted you, both of you! Harry, he’s been helping Black and – and – _he’s a werewolf!_ ”

Sarah winced as Ron, Harry and Draco turned accusative eyes upon her.

“You knew?” Draco whispered but thankfully his tone was more shocked than angry.

Sarah nodded. “I confirmed it after Snape set the essay."

“But – but that was _months_ ago,” Draco stuttered. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

Sarah stared evenly at him. “It wasn’t my secret to tell.”

Lupin stepped forward, drawing everyone’s eyes to him.

“Hermione – I have not been helping Black…I thought he was guilty until tonight…” An odd shiver passed over his face. “But I won’t deny that I am a werewolf.”

Ron made a valiant effort to get up again but fell back with a whimper of pain. Lupin made toward him, looking concerned, but Ron gasped, _“Get away from me, werewolf!_ ”

Lupin stopped dead.

“ _Ronald!”_ Sarah hissed.

“Don’t you start!” Ron snapped. “You’ve been keeping secrets from us! For all we know, you’ve been helping them. Maybe everything with your dad was just a cover!”

Sarah jerked back as if she had been slapped.

“You don’t mean that…” Sarah said, her voice sounding slightly brittle. “I would _never_ do anything to hurt Harry.”

She took another step back, further away from Ron. Harry’s eyes darted between her hurt face and Lupin’s and he carefully made his way over to her, grasping her hand tightly.

He was still quivering in anger but it was more subdued now. Draco joined them on Sarah’s other side, glaring fiercely at Ron.

“I haven’t been helping Sirius,” Lupin said into the tense silence. “Here – “

He gave them all their wands back and put his own wand away.

“You’re armed, we’re not. Now, will you listen?”

“If you haven’t been helping him,” Harry said, anger beginning to bubble again, “how did you know he was here.”

“Sarah was right,” said Lupin. “The Marauder’s Map. I was in my office examining it – “

“You know how to work it?” Harry said suspiciously, repeating Sarah’s earlier question.

“Of course I know how to work it,” said Lupin, waving his hand. “I helped write it. I’m Moony – that was my nickname at school.”

“You _wrote_ \- ?”

“The important thing is, I was watching it as I knew you five would most likely sneak out to visit Hagrid before his hippogriff was executed,” continued Lupin. “Imagine my surprise when you left his cabin with Peter Pettigrew with you.”

“We didn’t have anyone else with us,” Sarah argued. “We only had….” She gasped in disbelief and turned toward Ron. “ _Scabbers_!”

“What about him?” Ron said harshly, gripping the lump in his pocket tighter.

“Ron, you know the Map doesn’t lie!” Sarah said. “If Lupin saw Pettigrew’s name then it means he was with us and the _only_ extra thing we had coming back from Hagrid’s was Scabbers. I’m right, aren’t I? You saw Pettigrew’s name on the Map.” She turned to Professor Lupin, who looked impressed.

“Yes, I did,” he confirmed, pride staining his voice. “That’s why I raced down here when I saw Sirius appear on the Map.”

“So, when you were talking about switching – “ Sarah started, the dots suddenly joining together in her mind. She felt Draco inhale sharply beside her.

“ – you meant that Black and Pettigrew switched as Secret-Keeper without telling anyone,” Draco finished.

Harry looked at them in shock but Sarah could tell him mind was whirring.

“Exactly,” Lupin said, smiling widely. “When I saw his name I almost didn’t believe it – it wasn’t until I saw Sirius’ name dragging Ron and Peter into the tunnel did I realise the Map was telling the truth.”

“Ridiculous!” said Hermione faintly.

“But – but Peter Pettigrew is _dead_!” said Harry. “ _He_ killed him twelve years ago!” He pointed at Black, whose face twitched convulsively.

“I meant to,” he growled, his yellow teeth bared.

“Not helping, Sirius,” Lupin muttered. “Harry – Sirius, your father, Evelyn and Peter were all Animagus – they did it so that they could keep me company during the full moons.”

“My dad was an Animagus?” Harry said in amazement.

“And my mother?” Sarah echoed.

“Yes,” confirmed Lupin. “Evelyn was a Lynx and Peter was a rat, which meant they could press the knot on the Whomping Willow to allow Sirius and James into the tunnel. They would join me – a werewolf will only attack humans but other animals are safe.”

“What sort of animal – ?” Harry began but Hermione interrupted him.

“But people would know that Pettigrew was an Animagus!” she said shrilly. “I checked the register – there are only seven registered Animagi from this century!”

“Right you are, Hermione,” agreed Lupin. “But the four of them were unregistered. They would keep my company during my transformations and keep me in check as we wandered the grounds.”

“But that’s so dangerous,” gasped Hermione. “You could have hurt someone!”

“And that still haunts me,” confessed Lupin. “But no one knew about us – my condition was kept secret, and the others obviously kept theirs secret so that they didn’t have to register. However, it caused some people to suspect us.”

“Snivellus knew we were hiding something and the git just had to stick his nose into our business,” growled Black suddenly.

“Snape works at the school now, Sirius,” Lupin said. “He’s a teacher.”

“What happened between you and Snape?” Draco asked.

“Snape went to school with us and hated us – much like you five and Mr Crabbe. One day, however, Sirius played a trick on him which nearly killed him…”

“ _No_ …” Sarah said, aghast. “He didn’t use you, did he?”

Lupin shook his head sadly. “Sirius thought it would be amusing to tell Snape that all he had to do what prod the knot on the Whomping Willow and all his questions would be answered…Snape glimpsed me but James and Evelyn pulled him back at the last minute. He was forbidden to by Dumbledore to tell anybody, but from that time on he knew what I was…”

“So that’s why Snape doesn’t like you,” said Sarah slowly, “because he thought you were in on the joke?”

“That’s right,” sneered a cold voice from the wall behind Lupin. Severus Snape was pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, his wand pointing directly at Lupin.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Hermione screamed. Black leapt to his feet. Harry jumped as though he’d received a massive shock. Draco groaned lowly, his pale face gradually turning several shades whiter.

“I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow,” said Snape, throwing the cloak aside, careful to keep his wand pointing directly at Lupin’s chest. “Very useful, Potter, I thank you…”

Snape was slightly breathless, but his face was full of suppressed triumph. “You’re wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?” he said, his eyes glittering. “I’ve just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a goblet along. And very lucky I did…lucky for, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance as it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along with passageway and out of sight.”

Sarah choked on a breath and glanced at Lupin in worry, his amber eyes were wide.

“Severus, you’re making a mistake,” said Lupin urgently. “Sirius is not here to kill Harry – “

“Two more for Azkaban tonight,” said Snape, his eyes now gleaming fanatically. “I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this…He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin…a _tame_ werewolf – “

“You fool,” said Lupin softly. “Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?”

BANG! Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Snape’s wand and twisted themselves around Lupin’s mouth, wrists and ankles; he overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move. With a roar of rage, Black started toward Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight between Black’s eyes.

“Give me a reason,” he whispered. “Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will.”

Black stopped dead. It would have been impossible to say which face showed more hatred.

Sarah dropped to her knees and tried to undo the ropes restraining Lupin.

“Miss Deaumont, step away from that _beast_!” Snape snarled without taking his eyes of Black.

Sarah ignored him and slashed her wand at the ropes, managing to stop them from twisting around Lupin’s neck.

“ _Sarah! Stop this instant_!” growled Snape.

“Fuck off, Severus!” she snapped, pulling at more loose ropes.

Hermione gasped behind her but Sarah ignored it.

“ _I TOLD YOU TO STOP!”_ roared Snape, whipping his wand in her direction quickly before pointing it back at Black.

Sarah was thrown backwards into the wall. All the breath knocked from her lungs and she slid to the ground, clasping at her chest and wheezing.

Draco rounded on his godfather, wand raised.

“Draco, do not even _think_ about it!” growled Snape. “You are already facing suspension for being out-of-bounds and in the company of a convicted murderer and werewolf – do _not_ make it worse!”

Draco, breathing heavily, glared once more at Snape before whirling around and dropping to his knees beside Sarah.

“Ouch…” she muttered, gasping for breath. “That’s going to leave a bruise.”

“Come on, all of you,” snarled Snape.

Harry suddenly strode across the room and blocked the door, wand raised.

“Get out of the way, Potter,” spat Snape. “I will not have you acting like your father – too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black or Lupin – now get out of the way, or I will _make you_. GET OUT OF THE WAY, POTTER!”

“ _Expelliarmus_!” Harry yelled – but he wasn’t the only one. There was a blast that rattled the door on its hinges; Snape was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall, then slid down it to the floor, a trickled of blood oozing from under his hair. He had been knocked out.

Hermione, Draco and Ron all lowered their wands at Harry’s stunned gaze.

“He’s so going to kill me for that,” Draco sighed, helping Sarah to her feet.

“Ha,” Sarah snorted suddenly. “We’re going to have matching bruises. Serves him right.”

She slashed her wand at the remaining ropes restraining Lupin and freed him. Black helped him to his feet.

“Okay, I’m tired, I’m sore and I just want to go to bed,” Sarah said, leaning heavily on Draco. “Can you prove that Scabbers is Pettigrew? Then we’ll believe Black that he didn’t kill him _or_ betray Harry’s parents.”

“There’s a spell,” Lupin said, rubbing his wrists gingerly. “It will force him to reveal himself.”

“Brilliant,” said Sarah. “Let’s do that then. Ron, give them the rat.”

“But – “

“Give them the _fucking_ rat, Ron,” Sarah snapped. “If they’re wrong, no harm done – we’ll wake Snape and call the dementors, voila.”

“Sarah…” Lupin began.

“Look,” she said harshly. “I believe you, okay? But it’s not me you have to convince, it wasn’t my parents who were murdered by someone’s actions and that someone is in this room. So, you either get on with it and prove to Harry why he shouldn’t let Black rot in prison or you don’t and risk getting imprisoned yourself.”

Lupin stared at her and then nodded his head once. Ron looked back and forth between them before hesitantly holding Scabbers out. The rat was going wild, squealing loudly, his black eyes popping from his head.

“Ready, Sirius?” said Lupin.

Black had already retrieved Snape’s wand and approached Lupin.

“Together?” he said quietly.

“I think so,” said Lupin, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. “One – two – THREE!”

A flash of blue-white light erupted from both wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, his small grey form twisting madly – Ron yelled – the rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then –

It was like watching a speeded-up film Hermione had shown Sarah two summers ago of a growing tree. A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands. Crookshanks was spitting and snarling on the bed; the hair on his back was standing up.

He was a very short man, hardly taller than Sarah and Hermione. His thin, colourless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who had lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabbers’ fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow. Sarah saw his eyes dart to the door and back again.

“Well, hello, Peter,” said Lupin pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him. “Long time, no see.”

“S-Sirius…R-Remus…” Even Pettigrew’s voice was squeaky. Again, his eyes darted toward the door. “My friends…my old friends…”

Black’s wand arm rose, but Lupin seized him around the wrist, gave him a warning look, then turned again to Pettigrew, his voice light and casual.

“We’ve been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed – “

“Remus,” gasped Pettigrew, and Sarah could see beads of sweat breaking out over his pasty face, “you don’t believe him, do you…? He tried to kill me, Remus…”

“Oh for fucks sake!” Sarah growled, striding forward. “ _Incarcerous!_

Ropes shot out of her wand and tied themselves tightly around Pettigrew’s shaking body.

“Now,” she said in a sickeningly sweet voice, “you’re going to tell us what we want to know or I’m going to call the dementors to suck out your soul, kay?”

Pettigrew began to shake even more furiously than before.

“Brilliant,” Sarah smiled cruelly. “So, tell us, _Peter_. The night Sirius went to find you – what happened? And the short version, please, we haven’t got all night.”

Pettigrew stuttered out a response detailing how Sirius had cornered him on a muggle road and how he had shouted that Sirius had betrayed the Potters while hiding his wand behind his back. He had then cut his own finger off and blasted the road, causing a major explosion which killed all the muggles. Within all the confusion, he had transformed and escaped into the sewers with the rest of the rats.

“So, you’ve been living with the Weasley’s ever since?” Sarah asked, twirling her wand between her fingers. “Found yourself a nice wizarding family to keep up to date on everything – felt _safe_ didn’t you?”

Pettigrew’s hand wrung together faster and his eyes darted all across the room.

“B-B-But i-i-i-if I’m guilty, h-how did S-Sirius escape from A-A-Azkaban?” Pettigrew muttered weakly. “M-M-Must’ve taken a lot of D-Dark M-Magic he learnt from V-V-Voldemort!”

“I escaped because I kept my sanity!” Black growled. “I knew I was innocent. And dementors don’t affect animals the same as humans – not as complicated. I stayed in my Animagus form most of the time – dementors are blind – and I kept what little strength I had. When Fudge visited with a newspaper that had a photo of the Weasley’s on holiday, I saw _him_ sitting on the boy’s shoulder and I knew I had to get out – he was at Hogwarts with Harry.”

“Remus!” Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Lupin, writhing imploringly in front of him. “You don’t believe this…Wouldn’t Sirius have told you they’d changed the plan?”

“Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter,” said Lupin. “I assume that’s why you didn’t tell me, Sirius?” he said casually over Pettigrew’s head.

“Forgive me, Remus,” said Black.

“Not at all, Padfoot, old friend,” said Lupin.

Sarah turned to Harry.

“What do you think?” she asked him seriously.

He thought for a moment, his gaze flicking back and forth between Pettigrew and Black.

“I believe Sirius,” Harry said at last.

“NO!”

“Shall we kill him together?” Black asked, rolling up his sleeves.

Pettigrew fell to the ground, crawling toward Ron.

“Ron…haven’t I been a good friend…a good pet? You won’t let them kill me, Ron, will you…you’re on my side, aren’t you?”

But Ron was staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion.

“I let you sleep in my _bed!_ ” he said.

“Kind boy…kind master…I was your rat…” Pettigrew continued. “I was a good pet…”

“If you make a better rat than a human, it’s not much to boast about, Peter,” said Black harshly. Ron, going still paler with pain, wrenched his broken leg out of Pettigrew’s reach. Pettigrew turned on his knees and seized the hem of Sarah’s robes.

“Your mother was my friend, Sarah…She wouldn’t want them to kill me…” Pettigrew blubbered.

“It’s not up to me, you filth,” Sarah said harshly, wrenching her robes out of his hands and stepping back into Draco’s steadying arms. “You ruined Harry’s life, it’s up to him what happens to you.”

Black and Lupin stepped forward, wands raised but Harry jumped in front of them.

“You can’t kill him!” Harry shouted. “You can’t,” he added breathlessly. “My parents wouldn’t want their best friends to become killers.

“Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents,” Black snarled.

“I know,” Harry panted. “We’ll take him up to the castle – give him to the dementors after he’s given his testimony…He can go to Azkaban…but don’t kill him.”

Sarah smiled brightly at Harry when he turned toward her and he sagged slightly in relief.

“Fine,” Black said, shooting a piece of fabric out of his wand to gag Pettigrew. “We’ll take him up to the castle. But if he transforms, we _will_ kill him.”

“Right,” said Lupin, suddenly businesslike. “Ron, I can’t mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it’s best if we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing.”

He hurried over to Ron, bent down, tapped Ron’s leg with his wand, and muttered, “ _Ferula.”_ Bandages spun up Ron’s leg, strapping it tightly to a splint. Lupin helped him to his feet; Ron put his weight gingerly on the leg and didn’t wince.

“That’s better,” he said. “Thanks.”

“What about Professor Snape?” said Hermione in a small voice, looking down at Snape’s prone form.

“There’s nothing seriously wrong with him,” said Lupin, bending over Snape and checking his pulse. “You were just a little – overenthusiastic. Still out cold. Er – perhaps it will be best if we don’t revive him until we’re safely back in the castle. We can take him like this…”

He muttered, “ _Mobilicorpus_.” As though invisible strings were tied to Snape’s wrists =, neck and knees, he was pulled into a standing position, his head still lolling unpleasantly, like a grotesque puppet. He hung a few inches above the ground, his limp feet dangling. Harry picked up the Invisibility Cloak and tucked it safely into his pocket.

“And two of us should be chained to this,” said Black, nudging Pettigrew with his toe. “Just to make sure.”

“I’ll do it,” said Draco, releasing Sarah and stepping forward.

“And me,” said Ron savagely, limping forward.

Black conjured heavy manacles from thin air; soon Pettigrew was upright again, left arm chained to Draco’s right, right arm to Ron’s left. Ron’s face was set. He seemed to have taken Scabbers’ true identity as a personal insult. Crookshanks leapt lightly off the bed and led the way out of the room, his bottlebrush tail held jauntily high.

***

Sarah had never been part of a stranger group. Crookshanks led the way down the stairs; Draco, Pettigrew and Ron went next, awkwardly hobbling sideways. Next came Professor Snape, drifting creepily along, his toes hitting each stair as they descended, help up by his own wand, which was being pointed at him by Sirius. Harry and Hermione followed behind them and Sarah and Lupin brought up the rear.

“I read your essay,” Lupin said to Sarah suddenly. He spoke softly so that the others couldn’t hear him. “I really enjoyed it.” He smiled at Sarah in the dim light.

Sarah smiled back. “I am of the personal opinion that werewolves are still humans and should be treated as such,” she said nonchalantly. “There was no reason for Snape to assign us an essay on how to _kill_ werewolves – it was horrible.”

“Regardless,” Lupin said. “I’m glad you don’t think me a monster.”

“Professor, you patiently dealt with too many nights of me randomly bursting into tears – you’re not a monster,” Sarah said, smirking.

Professor Lupin hesitated for a moment but then said in a low voice, “I – er- never mentioned it to you and I don’t know if your mother did…but…well, she made me your godfather when you were born.”

“She did?” Sarah asked in surprise. “You should have told me!”

“We still had the teacher-student relationship, I didn’t want to complicate it with revealing I was your godfather,” Lupin admitted sheepishly.

He sighed deeply and observed her for a moment. “You’ve mentioned issues with your father previously. With me being your godfather, it would mean that, if you wanted, you could come live with me during the holidays instead of going back to your father…” Lupin said carefully, looking straight ahead.

“I could live with you?” Sarah repeated excitedly. “I wouldn’t have to deal with my father?”

“Well…yes…” Lupin said. “But I’d understand if you didn’t want to, I mean, you have the Malfoys – “

Sarah cut him off by hugging him tightly.

‘I’d love to!” she said. “I probably wouldn’t have been able to go back to Draco’s anyway, my father would have planned for that. I was planning on going to the Leaky Cauldron again or the Weasleys.”

She kept chattering on to Lupin’s amusement. They decided that Sarah would go back to the Weasley’s on the train and Lupin would pick her up from there. That would give him time to sort out his house and prepare a room.

At long last, the reached the end of the tunnel. The grounds were very dark now; the only light came from the distant windows of the castle. Without a word, they set off.

A cloud shifted. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground. Their party was bathed in moonlight.

Sarah froze as she saw Lupin stiffen beside her.

“He didn’t take his potion tonight!” she called, staring fearfully at the others. “GO!” Draco and Ron started moving again at her shout.

“Lupin – Remus – “ Sarah said, holding her wand tightly. “Fight it – just for a bit longer – SIRIUS!”

Sirius dropped Snape and ran over, putting himself in front of Sarah.

“Run,” Sirius whispered. “Run. Now.”

But Sarah couldn’t run. Draco and Ron were chained to Pettigrew, who was directly in front of Lupin. She leapt forward but Sirius caught her around the chest and threw her back into Harry.

“Leave it to me – RUN!”

“Draco!” Sarah screamed, ignoring Sirius’ words and rushing to her friend.

Harry appeared on Ron’s other side and they started undoing the manacles.

“What about Pettigrew - ?”

“I DON’T CARE!” Sarah interrupted Harry’s question. “We need to get them out!”

There was a terrible snarling noise. Lupin’s head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. Crookshanks’s hair was on end again; he was backing away –

As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, Sirius disappeared. He had transformed. The enormous, bearlike dog bounded forward. As the werewolf took a step forward, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backwards, away from their group. Hermione was dragging away a still unconscious Snape as fast as she could.

Finally, the manacles broke. Draco and Harry put their arms around Ron and helped him hobble away quickly. Sarah gripped Pettigrew tightly.

“Don’t even think about it,” she snarled.

But Pettigrew’s eyes just widened and he smiled slightly. Hermione screamed at Sarah and she whirled around, coming face-to-face with the werewolf.

Her grip on Pettigrew slackened and he dove, grabbing Snape’s wand and pointing it at Ron. There was a loud bang and Ron collapsed to the ground, taking Draco and Harry with him. Then Pettigrew began to shrink rapidly and soon the rat was disappearing into the night.

Sarah turned back to the werewolf, who was sniffing nearby. Sirius lay on his side behind it, breathing heavily.

“R-Remus, it’s me, Sarah – y-your goddaughter, r-remember?” she stuttered, trying to back away slowly without causing the werewolf to attack.

“Sarah! RUN!” Draco shouted, voice cracking.

Sirius jumped up and lunged at the werewolf, who startled and swiped out a large paw, catching Sarah on her arm and side. She screamed and fell to the ground, warm blood already beginning to pool beneath her.

“Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods,” she heard Draco chanting as he ran to her. He picked her up carefully and ran in the other direction. “Please, please, please be alright.”

As Sarah’s vision began to blur, she saw Harry and Hermione charge off into the distance, Harry’s shout of Sirius’ name echoing in the darkness.

Sarah took another shuddering breath and felt herself go cold.

“No, no, no, no!” Draco said, frantically wrapping his robe around her. “Don’t go to sleep, Sarah. Don’t pass out. Stay with me, come on – PROFESSOR! HELP!”

The last thing she saw was Draco’s pale, pinched face hovering above her and the swish of a dark wand. Then darkness.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm making myself feel really lonely

Sarah woke up to soft whispers and a distant roar of fury echoing from somewhere above them.

“What – “

“Sarah!”

“You’re awake!”

“Oh, thank Merlin!”

“Move, move, move, let me treat my patient.”

Sarah ignored the pounding in her head and moved to sit up. She gasped as pain shot through her left arm and side. She turned her head to see a large bandage wrapped around her, her left arm tightly secured in a sling.

“Miss Deaumont, I need to ask you to not move,” Madam Pomfrey said.

“What happened – where’s - where’s Sirius?” Sarah suddenly felt wide awake. “Oh Merlin, is Sirius okay? What about Remus? Ron? Where’s Draco?”

“Calm down, child!” Madam Pomfrey ordered, shoving a potion in her face. “Drink this, then I’ll answer your questions.”

Sarah obediently drank the potion and felt all pain leave her.

Another roar of fury made Madam Pomfrey pause.

“What was that?” she said in alarm.

Sarah sat up, ignoring Madam Pomfrey’s tuts and saw that Draco, Harry and Hermione were in the beds opposite hers. Ron’s red hair stuck up wildly from the bed next to hers.

Now they could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder. Madam Pomfrey was staring at the door.

“Really – they’ll wake everybody up! What do they think they’re doing?”

Sarah was trying to hear what the voices were saying. They were drawing nearer –

“He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out – “

“HE DIDN’T DISAPPARATE!” Snape roared, now very close at hand. “YOU CAN’T APPARATE _OR_ DISAPPARATE INSIDE THE CASTLE! THIS – HAS – SOMETHING – TO – DO – WITH – POTTER!”

“Severus – be reasonable – Harry has been locked up – “

BAM.

The door of the hospital wing burst open.

Fudge, Snape and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself. Fudge appeared angry. But Snape was beside himself.

“OUT WITH IT, POTTER!” he bellowed. “WHAT DID YOU DO?”

“Professor Snape!” shrieked Madam Pomfrey. “Control yourself!”

“See here, Snape, be reasonable,” said Fudge. “This door’s been locked, we just saw – “

“THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!” Snape howled, pointing at Harry, Hermione, and Draco. His face was twisted; spit was flying from his mouth. “DRACO, YOU TELL ME THE TRUTH! _WHAT – DID – YOU – DO?”_

“Calm down, man!” Fudge barked. “You’re talking nonsense!”

“YOU DON’T KNOW POTTER!” shrieked Snape. “HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT – “

“That will do, Severus,” said Dumbledore quietly. “Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?”

“Of course not!” said Madam Pomfrey, bristling. “Miss Deaumont just woke up. I would have heard anyone leaving.”

“Well, there you have it, Severus,” said Dumbledore calmly. “Unless you are suggesting that Harry, Hermione and Draco are able to be in two places at once, I’m afraid I don’t see any point in troubling them further.”

Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behaviour, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. Snape whirled about, robes swishing behind him, and stormed out of the ward.

“Fellow seems quite unbalanced,” said Fudge, staring after him. “I’d watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore.”

“Oh, he’s not unbalanced,” said Dumbledore quietly. “He’s just suffered a severe disappointment.”

Sarah ignored the rest of their conversation. Madam Pomfrey had just bustled over with a selection of potions for her to drink. She could see Draco practically vibrating with the need to come over and check on her.

She distantly heard Fudge and Dumbledore leave the ward but focused on Madam Pomfrey.

“How bad is it?” she asked the mediwitch.

“Not as bad as it could have been,” was the terse response. “You’re lucky, Miss Deaumont, that it was just a scratch and not a bite.”

As much as Sarah liked Lupin, she shuddered at the idea of becoming a werewolf.

“Will there be any side effects?” she asked, calmly taking another potion and swallowing it with a grimace.

“I don’t think so,” replied Madam Pomfrey, finishing her check-up. “But there will be scarring – I can’t do anything about that.”

“That’s fine, thank you for everything else,” Sarah said with a smile.

“That’s all right, dearie,” Madam Pomfrey patted her arm. “Now, you’ll be tender for the next few days so no exercising or flying. Ideally, I’d want you here for two nights but I know you won’t let me, so you’ll be free to go tomorrow with the others.”

Sarah smiled innocently up at the nurse, who just rolled her eyes.

“Okay, Mr Malfoy, you can come over now.”

The words had barely left her mouth before Draco appeared at her bedside.

“She’s going to be sore,” warned Madam Pomfrey. “Ten minutes and then bed for all of you.”

She glared at each of them before disappearing into her office.

A low groan from beside Sarah indicated that Ron had just woken up. Harry and Hermione joined Draco on Sarah’s side of the ward and settled comfortably into chairs next to the two beds.

“How did you do it?” Sarah asked, holding Draco’s hand tightly.

Draco smirked and nodded at Hermione, who pulled the Time-Turner out from her shirt before tucking it away again.

“We went back far enough to save Buckbeak as well,” Draco explained. “It’s how we managed to get to where they were keeping Sirius. He’s safe now – both of them.”

“That’s brilliant!” Sarah beamed. “Any news on Lupin?”

Draco shook his head.

“He’s still on the loose,” he said. “I hope he’s okay.”

“Guess what, Sarah?” Harry said excitedly. He continued before she replied. “I cast my Patronus!”

He went on to explain how after he and Hermione had rushed off after Sirius, they had been surrounded by dementors and were saved by a Patronus. When they went back in time, Harry realised it was him that cast it and so he did it again, or first, it was all quite confusing.

“That’s wonderful, Harry!” Sarah said.

“Wonder if we’ll hear from Sirius,” Ron muttered from his reclined position. “He’ll have to be on the run again.”

“He could stay with Lupin and me,” Sarah said without thinking.

“What?” Draco asked in surprise.

“Lupin said I could live with him this summer, if I wanted,” Sarah revealed to astonished faces. “He’s my godfather.”

“I thought you were coming back with me,” Draco said, slightly sadly.

“You know my father would look there first,” sighed Sarah. “It’s safer for you if I’m not there. But you can visit me!”

Draco nodded and squeezed her hand. Madam Pomfrey reappeared and shooed them off the bed.

***

When Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco and Sarah were released from the hospital wing at noon the next day, it was to find an almost deserted castle. The sweltering heat and the end of the exams meant that everyone was taking full advantage of another Hogsmeade visit. Neither Ron, Hermione or Draco felt like going, however, so the five of them wandered around the grounds, still talking about the extraordinary events of the previous night and wondering where Sirius and Buckbeak were now. Relaxing near the lake, albeit slightly stiffly in Sarah’s case, allowed their thoughts to wander. Sarah wanted to go find Lupin but didn’t know if she could make the walk alone. She was about to ask Draco to come with her when a shadow fell across them and they looked up to see a very bleary-eyed Hagrid, mopping his sweaty face with one of his table-cloth sized handkerchiefs and beaming down at them.

“Know I shouldn’ feel happy, after wha’ happened las’ night,” he said. “I mean, Black escapin’ again, an’ everythin’ – but guess what?”

“What?” they said, pretending to look curious.

“Beaky!” He escaped! He’s free! Bin celebratin’ all night!”

“That’s brilliant, Hagrid,” Sarah said, getting to her feet and leaning her hand heavily on Draco’s shoulder. “Have you by any chance heard anything about Lupin?”

“Blimey, haven’ yeh heard?” said Hagrid, his smile fading a little. He lowered his voice, even though there was nobody in sight. “Er – Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin’…Professor Lupin’s a werewolf, see. An’ he was loose on the grounds las’ night…He’s packin’ now, o’ course.”

“He’s _packing_?” said Sarah, looking alarmed. “Why?”

“Leavin’, isn’ he?” said Hagrid, looking surprised that Sarah had to ask. “Resigned firs’ thing this mornin’. Says he can’t risk it happen’ again.”

“No, no, no, no, no,” Sarah muttered, turning away toward the castle. “I’m going to see him.”

Harry scrambled to his feet and hurried to her side, offering his support.

“But if he’s resigned – “ Ron started.

“I don’t care. I still want to see him. We’ll meet you back here.”

***

Lupin’s office door was open. He had already packed most of his things. The grindylow’s empty tank stood next to his battered old suitcase, which was open and nearly full. Lupin was bending over something on his desk and looked up only when Sarah knocked on the door.

“I saw you coming,” said Lupin, pointing to the Marauder’s Map.

“Why are you leaving?” Sarah asked miserably.

“This time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving from parents…They will not want a werewolf teaching their children,” he turned toward the pair, a sad expression on his face. “And I _hurt_ you, Sarah. I could have bitten you.”

“But you _didn’t_!” she argued. “It was my own fault for not moving away! You have no control then!”

“Exactly,” Lupin sighed. “I have no control. I can’t risk it again.”

“Just – just please tell me I can still live with you this summer?” Sarah asked, tears beginning to fill her eyes. “I can’t go back to my father…”

Lupin sighed deeply and looked away. “Sarah…I don’t know…”

“You’ll have your potion, though!” she pressed. “And you must have a safe space you stay in. I’ll just stay out of the way. Or I’ll go to the Weasley’s for the full moon. _Please_!”

Harry was standing back against the door, watching the interaction silently, his expression sombre.

Lupin turned back to Sarah and seemed to crumble at her expression. “Okay, you can still live with me – _ooft_!”

Sarah slammed into him, hugging his thin torso. “Thank you, thank you, _thank you_ ,” she whispered into his chest.

Lupin rubbed up and down her back gently. “I thought you might have hated me.”

“Hated you?” she said incredulously. “For something you had no control over? Don’t be ridiculous. None of us hate you – we’re devastated you’re leaving.”

Harry quickly stepped forward. “It’s true, sir – we don’t want you to go.”

Lupin smiled at the pair as Sarah went to lean against Harry’s side.

“I heard about your Patronus, Harry. I’m very impressed,” Lupin said.

“How did you know?”

“What else could have driven the dementors away?” Lupin countered with a smile.

Harry told them that his Patronus had taken the form of a stag.

“Your father was always a stag when he transformed. That’s why we called him Prongs,” said Lupin.

Lupin handed Harry the Marauder’s Map.

“As I am no longer your teacher, I feel no guilt in giving you this back,” said Lupin, reaching down to close his case. “I have no hesitation in saying that James and Evelyn would have been highly disappointed if their children never found any of the secret passages out of the school.”

There was a knock on the door. It was Professor Dumbledore. He didn’t look surprised to see Sarah and Harry there.

“Your carriage is at the gates, Remus,” he said.

“Thank you, Headmaster.”

Lupin picked up his old suitcase and the empty grindylow tank.

“Well – goodbye, Harry, I’m sure we’ll see each other at some point this summer, if Sarah has any say about it,” Lupin grinned. “I’ll see you at the Weasley’s once school has ended – I’ll owl you.”

Lupin left the office.

***

“Sarah! Are you okay?”

Sarah stopped walking at the loud shout. She was on her way outside to meet Draco and the others after her check-up with Madam Pomfrey. As the nurse had predicted, there was a lot of scarring but thankfully she didn’t have any negative side effects.

Sarah turned to see Fred jogging toward her and couldn’t help the odd sensation that appeared in her chest.

“I’m fine,” she said with a smile as he reached her.

“Ron told us you were getting a check-up at the hospital wing – that you got hurt – but he wouldn’t tell us how,” Fred said, his chocolate eyes anxiously scanning her for injuries.

Sarah looked around the make sure the corridor was empty before dragging Fred into a deep alcove with a stain-glass window.

“I’m about to tell you something and you can’t tell _anyone_ , okay?” she said. “Well, obviously you can tell George but _that’s_ _it_. This is a complete secret and I’m sure the other’s are gonna kill me for telling you.”

Fred nodded seriously so Sarah told him about what happened the night Sirius escaped. When she had finished, Fred was staring at her with a mixture of shock and awe.

“So that passageway leads to the Shrieking Shack?” he said at last.

“Is that seriously the only thing you got out of that?” Sarah asked in bemusement.

“Yeah, yeah – the murderer was innocent, werewolf, evil rat guy, blah blah blah,” Fred grinned. “George is gonna be stoked about that passageway – we’ve been wondering where it leads for _years_!”

“You’re absolutely ridiculous!” Sarah exclaimed, and before she knew what she was doing, she threw her arms around Fred and hugged him tightly.

His arms immediately wrapped around her and he rested his chin on top of her hair.

“I’m glad you’re all right,” he whispered.

Sarah blushed as she burrowed deeper into his chest.

“I guess this is your way of saying you like me too?” Fred quipped, his voice light and teasing.

Sarah drew back and glared at him, still blushing bright red.

“I don’t recall you ever stating anything of the sort,” she said stubbornly, releasing Fred to cross her arms over her chest.

“Well, in that case,” Fred smiled crookedly at her and prised her arms apart to hold her hands gently. “Sarah, it has come to my attention that, astonishingly enough, I find that I quite like you.”

“Is that right?” she smirked. “And what do you intend to do about that?”

Fred positively beamed at her.

“Considering that you’ll be staying with your new guardian this summer, I imagine I’ll start with some letters,” Fred listed. “Then, when I feel less terrified of the fact that your guardian is a big, bad wolf, I may even ask said guardian if I would be allowed to take you out on a date.”

“Who says that Lupin has any say over what I do?” Sarah asked, quirking an eyebrow at the redhead.

“Oh, I know that you’ll do whatever you want,” Fred assured. “This is purely my own self-preservation kicking in.”

Sarah laughed, bright and loud and hugged Fred again.

“I’d really like that,” she whispered into his chest. “I’ll await your owl.”

***

The exam results came out on the last day of term. Harry and Ron were gobsmacked that they had passed Potions.

“You’re not actually idiots when you try,” Draco said calmly as he flicked through his results. His inattention meant that he missed the glares the other two boys sent his way.

To no one’s surprise, Sarah, Draco and Hermione had passed every class with the highest marks. Percy had got his top-grade N.E.W.T.s; even Fred and George had scraped a handful of O.W.L.s each. Sarah was very proud of their effort and even rewarded Fred with a small kiss to the cheek when he wasn’t expecting it. Thanks to Gryffindors performance in the Quidditch Cup, they had won the House Cup for the third year running. This meant the end of term feast took place amid decorations of scarlet and gold, and that the Gryffindor table was the noisiest of all. Sarah was glad to be sitting at the Slytherin table with Draco and the others, as it meant her hearing was still intact by the end of the feast.

***

As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station the next morning, Hermione, Draco and Sarah gave Harry and Ron some surprising news.

“We went to see Professor McGonagall this morning, just before breakfast. We decided to drop Muggle Studies.”

“But you each passed the test with three hundred and twenty percent!” said Ron.

“Yes,” said Sarah, “but this year was hard enough with the Time-Turner, I’ve never been so sleep-deprived. At least this way we’ll only be doing ten subjects. And Draco and I will still have Quidditch as well.”

“I still can’t _believe_ you didn’t tell us about the Time-Turner,” said Ron grumpily. “We’re supposed to be _friends_.”

“Well, I’ll remember that the next time you want to act like a git and not talk to one of us for months on end, shall I?” Sarah said slightly spitefully, with a pointed look at Ron.

The redhead flushed and grumbled something under his breath.

Sarah turned to see Harry dejectedly watching Hogwarts disappear from view behind the mountains.

“It’ll be okay, Harry,” Sarah said with a smile. “This summer I’m going to make sure you can visit. I’m going to drag Draco along wherever I want.”

Harry laughed as Draco threw an indignant look at Sarah.

“That’s if you have any free time,” he teased. “I wouldn’t want to get between you and your _boyfriend_.”

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Sarah cried, blushing. “Not yet, at least.”

“Ergh, can we _please_ not talk about Sarah dating my brother,” gagged Ron. “It’s just weird.”

“ _I_ think it’s adorable,” Hermione said, smiling brightly.

“My baby girl is growing up,” Draco fake cried, wiping non-existent tears from his silver eyes. “Oh, how the time flies by!”

“Shut up, you dork,” Sarah said, pushing Draco roughly, causing him to fall into Harry’s side.

Draco just made himself comfortable against the other boy, smirking at Sarah.

“It’s the Quidditch World Cup this year,” he said once he had settled. Harry’s face above him was slightly red but looked very pleased. “I know father’s going to get us tickets, Sarah. Can any of you go?”

“Dad can usually get tickets from work,” Ron said, looking excited. “I’m going to make sure he gets Harry and Hermione one as well.”

“Also, you all can call me whenever you want,” Hermione stated. “Now that these three hopeless cases know how a telephone works.”

Sarah, Ron and Draco made outraged noises as Harry and Hermione laughed.

It was late into the afternoon when something interesting happened.

“Harry,” said Hermione suddenly, peering over his shoulder out the window. “What’s that thing outside?”

Harry raised his head from where it had been resting against the wall and awkwardly turned to watch the small grey owl bobbing in and out of sight. Draco grumbled from where he had been dozing against Harry’s chest as the other boy leant forward and let the small bundle of feathers inside the compartment.

“Awwww,” Sarah cooed. “It’s so _cute_!”

It was barely bigger than a Snitch and was so fluffy that its eyes and beak could barely be seen. The owl dropped its letter onto Harry’s lap and began zooming around their compartment, apparently very pleased with itself for accomplishing its task. Hedwig clicked her beak with a sort of dignified disapproval. Crookshanks sat up in his seat, following the owl with his great yellow eyes. Ron, noticing this, snatched the owl safely out of harm’s way.

“It’s from Sirius!” Harry exclaimed, reading through the letter quickly. “He and Buckbeak are safe. Oh – it was him who sent me the Firebolt…”

“Ha!” said Hermione triumphantly. “See! I _told_ you it was from him!”

“Yes, but he hadn’t jinxed it, had he?” said Ron. “Ouch!”

The tiny owl, now hooting happily in his hand, had nibbled one of his fingers in what it seemed to think was an affectionate way. Sarah leant over to pat its soft head as Harry continued detailing the letter.

“He gave me permission to go to Hogsmeade!” Harry said in excitement, waving the sheet of paper around. “That’ll be good enough for Dumbledore! Hang on…there’s a P.S…”

He scanned it quickly before looking up at Ron in amusement.

“He says you can keep the owl because it was his fault you lost your pet,” Harry smirked.

Ron’s eyes widened. The minute owl was still hooting excitedly.

“Keep him?” he said uncertainly. He looked closely at the owl for a moment; then, to everyone’s great surprise, he held him out for Crookshanks to sniff.

“What d’you reckon?” Ron asked the cat. “Definitely an owl?”

Crookshanks purred.

“That’s good enough for me,” said Ron happily. “He’s mine.”

The five of them were in an excellent mood when they arrived at the station. Sarah hugged Draco tightly goodbye and greeted Narcissa, before following Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys through the platform barrier.

Harry waved goodbye when he saw his Uncle Vernon waiting for him. Before he left, Sarah marched up to his uncle and said sweetly, “I’ll be organising for Harry to visit me this holidays. Who knows, I might even try to get him to stay with me for most of it. If you restrict this in _any_ way, you’ll regret it.”

“Also, my godfather is expecting regular updates,” Harry added with a shit-eating grin.

“Godfather?” his uncle spluttered. “You don’t have a godfather.”

“Oh, yes I do,” Harry corrected. “He was my mum and dad’s best friend. He’s a convicted murderer. He likes to keep in touch…check that I’m happy…”

Sarah smiled broadly as Harry’s uncle’s face turned blotchy and purple.

“See you soon!” she said to Harry, hugging him tightly.

She said goodbye to Hermione before turning to the Weasleys, who were waiting with matching smiles. Sarah knew this summer would be the best so far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand another one finished. Goodness, these take ages to write but only two hours to edit and post. Hopefully, the next one will be up by the end of the month but I'm starting Uni so my writing schedule might change a bit. I apologise in advance. 
> 
> Leave your thoughts below! If you have any suggestions or recommendations, feel free to chuck them in. 
> 
> And fanart! I love visuals. If anyone knows someone who likes drawing fanart, please, please let me know!


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